Magic is never a free pass...Step into a hidden supernatural ecosystem operating just beneath the surface of our daily routines. In this captivating volume, fifteen urban fantasy storytellers pit their characters against real-world issues in settings that are simultaneously arcane and all-too real. Play along with a gambler who discovers the terrifying cost of his lucky streak, listen in as a musician learns a hard lesson at the hands of a trickster, and ride shotgun with a detecti...

It's time to turn the "man and his dog wandering through a dystopian world” trope on its head, and tell the stories about cats and their women - their badass women!Cat Ladies of the Apocalypse wanders through broken worlds with stories of survival, technology, magic, and sheer determination. But – like their cats – the authors frequently slipped out the upstairs window or knocked things off of countertops, and their stories are stronger for it.In these pages, cats help thei...

Read a story per day from the end of November to January first...or binge the entire collection. Stories that center around holidays from American Thanksgiving and Black Friday to St. Nicholas Day, Hanukkah to Boxing Day, and of course, the worldwide biggies, Christmas, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day. Award-winning and bestselling writers like Ron Collins, Annie Reed, Robert Jeschonek, and 28 others explore holidays in three different genres--mystery, romance, and light fantasy.

This issue, we have a pair of Irish-themed stories (one dark, one light) by Christina Hoag and David Dean to welcome St. Patrick’s Day. Of course, there’s plenty more original fiction, too: tales by Ron Miller, Grant Tracey, Susan Shwartz, and CJ Erick, plus a new solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. And, as always, we have some classics, too: science fiction shorts...

Winter holidays mean lights, decorations, and delicious food. They bring about a sense of joy and a giving spirit that seems more abundant than at other times of the year.This anthology holds a Hanukkah story, two stories about the solstice and two about some lesser-known holidays. Two authors made up their own holidays, and three looked at what people who don’t celebrate do during the holiday season.With so many creative ways to celebrate, this volume will surely lift the ...

Cats move around. In fact, a cat’s very nature requires them to explore, to move from place to place. Even if their realm lies indoors, they still check out each window and watch every detail of their world.In this fantastic group of stories, cats roam from place to place, bring home presents from their adventures, get lost, and even find romance, as far as romance and cats go together.Follow these cats on their entertaining travels and see what they get up to.Inclu...

Magic. It hides under our unsuspecting noses, and swirls all around us.In STREET MAGIC, fifteen urban fantasy authors invite you to walk with one foot in the mundane world, and one in... another world.And if what you see there seems a little out of the ordinary, it's probably magic.Contains stories by Meyari McFarland, Mike Jack Stoumbos, Douglas Smith, J.L. Madore, Travis Heermann, Jessica Guernsey, Jena Rey, Taylen Carver, Tina Back, C.E. Barnes, Leigh Saunders, S...

In A Cat of a Different Color, the first volume of WMG’s The Year of the Cat series, editors Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch worked to find stories that featured cats that were just a little surprising (an impressive feat for cats, anyone would have to admit).Just a little weird. A little different.Which makes these stories amazingly fun to read. After all, for cat people, reading about cats equals the fun of being with one.Almost. Just don’t tell the c...

Did the hands on that clock turn backward? Did that dog just speak to you? Did a shadow pass across the face of the moon? You might be experiencing magic...In STREET MAGIC II, fifteen urban fantasy authors share their visions of worlds where the lines between the mundane and the magical intersect.Contains stories by Annie Bellet, Dayle A. Dermatis, Taelyn Carver, Tami Veldura, Jennifer M. Roberts, Leigh Saunders, Douglas Smith, Jena Rey, L.J. Hilse...

Cats and art mix in odd ways, at odd times.Scratch the surface on just about any well-known author and you will find a cat, or more likely, many cats. Not just authors. Painters, composers, dancers, and magicians all seem to need cats at some time or other.Cats inspire art.Or damage a piece of art.Or sit on a keyboard and create weird writing all their own.In this fantastic group of stories, we have cats as muse, cats falling for violinists, cats usi...

Our world is full of wonders - if only you know how to lookThat background hum might not be the midnight traffic; it could be the echo of a whispered incantation. Step into a concrete jungle where alleyways shift course, online maps fail, and ancient runes hide in UV-reactive street art. From the quiet, agonizing personal choices of individuals protecting the people they love to the fate of entire hidden communities, the characters in these fifteen urban fantasy stories face the sa...

Most cats pursue the business of their lives in ways both fantastic and whimsical.In this entertaining volume of stories, cats perform as muses, inhabit fairy tales, consort with ghosts and zombies, and one cat even reigns as fantasy queen.Enter the fantastic world of whimsical cats and enjoy!Includes:“Searching for the Familiar” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch“Speechless in Seattle” by Lisa Silverthorne“Queen of the Mouse Riders” by Annie Reed...