Patricia Bray

Lacking the will to live following the death of his family, yet still responsible for the welfare of his brother's widow and children, Devlin Stonehand takes on the role of Chosen One, certain that it will lead to his own death.

Devlin's Luck

Joshua Palmatier

Featuring contributions from Seanan McGuire, Susan Jett and Elizabeth Bear, this collection of 14 fantastical tales, ranging from humor to dark fantasy, explore how the creatures of the fae realm are fitting into the modern world. Original. 20,000 first printing.

The Modern Fae's Guide to Surviving Humanity

Katharine Kerr

Seanan McGuire

Faith Hunter

Gini Koch

Danielle Ackley-McPhail

Mike Barretta

Anneliese Belmond

Eliora Smith

Ashley McConnell

Jean Marie Ward

Phyllis Ames

April Steenburgh

Susan Jett

David B. Coe

Elizabeth Kite

Sarah Brand

Werewolves rule the night in urban fantasy, but everyone knows there are other were-creatures out there just as dangerous and deadly, if not as common, each with their own issues as they struggle to fit into—or prey upon—society. What about the were-goats? The were-crows and were-wasps? Here are seventeen stories of urban fantasy by today’s leading science fiction and fantasy authors that introduce you to some of those other were-creatures, the ones hiding in the dark background shadows, waiting to bite. Join Seanan McGuire, Ashley McConnell, Susan Jett, Eliora Smith, David B. Coe, April Steenburgh, Gini Koch, Mike Barretta, Elizabeth Kite, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Jean Marie Ward, Katharine Kerr, Sarah Brand, Anneliese Belmond, Faith Hunter, Patricia Bray, and Phyllis Ames as they take you into the hidden corners of our world to see some lesser known were-creatures. You may want to bring along some silver ... just in case.

Were-

To prove his worthiness as the Chosen One, champion of the Kingdom of Jorsk, Devlin of Duncaer must return to the land of his birth and to the people who have denounced him as a traitor in order to recover the the Sword of Light, the mythical weapon that is a badge of his position as a Chosen One of the Gods. Original.

Devlin's Honor

Left with no memory of the past, supposedly because of a mysterious fever, Josan, an orphan, exile, and priest who has been sent to a lighthouse on the farthest edge of the kingdom, comes face to face with old secrets when Lady Ysobel Flordelis, a Seddonian trade representative, is shipwrecked on his island. Original.

The First Betrayal

A tale of a rake, an impoverished country girl, and a miraculous makeover—by an author praised for her “richly realized characters” (RT Book Reviews). Caring for eight siblings and burdened by a bankrupt estate, Jane Segwick happily accepts her aunt’s invitation to the festive London Season. This could be her chance to find a wealthy husband and get the entire family out of debt . . . But the upper crust of London bristles at Jane’s blunt country ways—with one exception: Lord Glendale. The handsome lord, not in the market for a wife, finds himself amused by Jane’s frank manner and he wagers that—within the month—even provincial Jane can be brought into fashion. His plan succeeds only too well, as Jane blossoms into the most popular young lady of the season. Now will Lord Glendale relinquish Jane to her newfound admirers? Or will he take the biggest gamble of all—and risk his heart in a challenging game of love?

A London Season

Her identity is false, but her love for the earl is all too real—and so is the danger that engulfs them both . . . Gypsy fortune-teller Mademoiselle Magda has taken London by storm with her uncanny predictions—and only Lord Kerrigan suspects that she is not what she claims to be. And he is right, for poverty has led seamstress Magda Beaumont, the child of a French physician and a Russian gypsy princess, to pass herself off as a tarot reader to the ton. But lacking her mother’s powers, Magda drew the wrong card and made an enemy of the earl, who causes her pulse to race whenever he’s near. He sets out to expose her, only to find himself captivated by the beautiful young woman. But when Magda’s predictions threaten to expose a villainous plot, she finds herself in mortal danger. Now Magda and Lord Kerrigan must join forces to solve a decade-old murder, and Magda fervently wishes she could indeed predict the future—to see if her deception will cost her a love that promises bliss . . .

An Unlikely Alliance

In one man, two souls fight for survival—and for mastery of an outlaw magic that could save a kingdom. It was a fate Josan once considered preferable to death. Cast by dark sorcery into the body of Emperor Lucius of Ikaria, the scholar-monk struggled to make peace with a mind that regarded him as a hostile intruder. But now, as simmering rivalries threaten to plunge the kingdom into a bloody civil war, Josan is faced with the most difficult choice of all. For the uneasy truce between him and Lucius is unraveling in a form of madness that is destroying the body they share. There’s only one hope for a cure. Disguised, stowing away as a common traveler, Josan/Lucius will make the hazardous journey to Xandropol. There in the great library of the Learned Brethren, Josan hopes to find the forbidden magic that will counter the spell that yokes him and Lucius. But an old antagonist is already on their trail: the Lady Ysobel follows them to what she realizes is the scene of her and Josan’s fateful first meeting. But not even she divines the reason for this final pilgrimage: that Josan has returned to sacrifice his life.

The Final Sacrifice

Marcus Heywood, the new Duke of Torringford, must take a wife in three weeks or he will lose the country estate he's just inherited. His brother suggests advertising in the papers for a mate, but Marcus refuses to consider it--until one night he pens a wine-fueled ad in jest. When a horrible mix-up results in the ad being printed, the lovely Miss Penelope Hastings enters his life.

A Most Suitable Duchess

Science fiction and fantasy readers have long shown an affinity for a good "bar story". Now some of today's most inventive scriveners have decided to tell their own tall tales-from an alewife's attempt to transfer the gods' curse to Gilgamesh, to Odin's decision to introduce Vikings to the Ur-Bar, from the Holy Roman Emperor's barroom bargain, to a demon hunter who may just have met his match in the ultimate magic bar, to a bouncer who discovers you should never let anyone in after hours in a world terrorized by zombies.

Tales from Ur-Bar

After Hours

A desperate man in a dying kingdom is awarded the most coveted—and most deadly—choice of all The once mighty kingdom of Jorsk is in decline, its borders beset by enemies, both worldly and otherworldly. The king has retreated to the capital, abandoning the far-flung provinces. The only hope of the people lies in their Chosen One, blessed by the gods as defender of the realm. But of late every Chosen One has died, targeted by the harshest of the enemy attacks. Only the most desperate of men now seek that post. Devlin Stonehand is a desperate man. Overwhelmed by grief at the death of his family, he has lost the will to live. But he has vowed to provide for his brother’s widow and children, and the post of the Chosen One carries with it a substantial reward. For Devlin, a farmer and metalsmith, it is the answer to his prayers—prayers that include a yearning for the oblivion of death. After he has won the post, though, Devlin discovers that sometimes the hardest goal to achieve is that which had once seemed the simplest. For unlike the other Chosen Ones, he persists in surviving. Are the gods just tormenting him further, or does he have a greater destiny than he imagined? Can a man who courts death ever truly come to embrace life?

Cathleen Clare

Janice Bennett

Mischievous and adorable kittens prove to be the catalyst for romance in three enchanting Regency romances, including "Lord Trevor's Tomcat" by Cathleen Clare, "Charlotte's Kitten" by Patricia Bray, and "Sanctuary" by Janice Bennett. Original.

Bewitching Kittens

What if the fae were still here, living among us? Perhaps living in secret, doing their best to pass for human? Or perhaps their existence is acknowledged, but they're still struggling to fit in. How have they survived? Are they outcasts clinging to the edges of society, or do their powers ensure success in the mortal realm? Here are fourteen fabulous tales—ranging from humor to dark fantasy—that explore how the creatures of fae are fitting into the modern world. From a mortal who offers to do internet marketing for Oberon...to a woman bent on reclaiming her baby from the Queen of the fae...to a dryad grove menaced by urban expansion...to a Selkie in need of a new home and career...these are original looks at how the world of the imagination can survive and perhaps even thrive in the everyday mortal lands.

Patricia Bray

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