An elderly woman's memories aren't what they seem in this terrifying tale of a haunting in New York.Maura Sullivan tells herself that the past was wonderful -- filled with laughter and love.But there's something horrible going on. What really happened all those years ago?And what's waiting in the shadows?Avar-Tek Event #2 (short story): When a military accident releases swarms of microscopic robots called forger nanites into the environment, science intern Kutisha finds that her lab is their target. As three swarms head her way, the military dispatches hover-tanks carrying human sized robotic mechs. Alone, late at night, she places her faith in the mechs, watching the battle between the big and little machines unfold on her doorstep. The question may not be who will win, but who to trust.

No one believes April saw an enormous bear in the woods. No one thinks Fin didn't break the Cat Lady's foot. No one wants to know why Loretta bought Dad new underwear. And no one listens to Joe, because he never has much to say. The Peski Kids are up to their eyeballs in trouble, and it's all their dog's fault.Now the Mayor is watching them like a hawk. She won't let anyone ruin Currawong's Daffodil Festival. That's fine, the Peski Kids want to blend in, the only problem is . . . they are really terrible at it.

One day, not long from now, it becomes almost impossible to murder anyone - 999 times out of a thousand, anyone who is intentionally killed comes back. How? We don't know. But it changes everything: war, crime, daily life. Tony Valdez is a Dispatcher - a licensed, bonded professional whose job is to humanely dispatch those whose circumstances put them in death's crosshairs, so they can have a second chance to avoid the reaper. But when a fellow Dispatcher and former friend is apparently kidnapped, Tony learns that there are some things that are worse than death and that some people are ready to do almost anything to avenge a supposed wrong. It's a race against time for Valdez to find his friend before it's too late...before not even a Dispatcher can save him.

When a bratty Hollywood child star and an English aristocrat exchange souls at the dentist in Laughing Gas, the result is transatlantic mayhem at its funniest.

An old flame rekindled . . . Zara Cinders always knew Ham Reece was the one, but he wasn't interested in settling down. When she found someone who was, Ham walked out of her life. Three years later, Zara's lost her business, her marriage, and she's barely getting by in a tiny apartment on the wrong side of the tracks. As soon as Ham hears about Zara's plight, he's on her doorstep offering her a lifeline. Now, it will take every ounce of will power she possesses to resist all that he offers. Ham was always a traveling man, never one to settle down in one town, with one woman, for more time than absolutely necessary. But Ham's faced his own demons, and he's learned a lot. About himself, and about the life he knows he's meant to live. So when he hears that Zara's having a rough time, he wants to be the one to help. In fact, he wants to do more than that for Zara. A lot more. But first, he must prove to Zara that he's a changed man.

Mathilda Honeycutt, SuperWitch, Prophesied Savior of The World, has survived the first battleof the Supernatural War.But before she can take a breath, she's deflecting spells from angry witches in her local Target,getting visits from the Federal Witches Agency, and even though she's wearing the perfect outfit,her meeting with the US government doesn't go too well.What's a girl to do when she's got a war to plan, a world to save, and two gorgeous guys still inhot pursuit?She gets on with it, accessorizing perfectly along the way. Even if she's deep in the dungeons ofa vampire castle or visiting the faerie realm.But Mathilda, her magical posse, and her hot guys, are racing against the clock.The Dark Lord is rising, and they have to stop him.Or the world as we know it will cease to exist.

A remarkable collection, Robots through the Ages includes stories from some of the best writers of science fiction, both old and new.This anthology, with an introduction by Robert Silverberg, offers a sweeping survey of robots as depicted throughout literature. Since the Iliad—in which we are shown golden statues built by Hephaestus "with minds and wisdoms"—humans have been fascinated by the idea of artificial life. From the Argonautica to the medieval Jewish legend of the Golem and Ambrose Bierce's tale of a chess-playing robot, the idea of what robots are—and who creates them—can be drastically different.This book collects a broad selection of short stories from celebrated authors such as Philip K. Dick, Seanan McGuire, Roger Zelazny, Connie Willis, and many more. Robots through the Ages not only celebrates the history of robots and the genre of science fiction, but the dauntless nature of human ingenuity.

Amidst the chaos of Rome's civil wars, Quintus Saturnus the mason works hard to produce busts for the Imperial Cult. But constant regime change makes getting paid difficult. Inspired by Robert Grave’s I Claudius and Gore Vidal’s Julian, this is an account of how one man negotiated the anarchy of 68-69AD - the Time of Five Emperors.These two short stories examine the hidden lives of outsiders from society - people who are put on the outside because of mental illness. Their remarkable stoicism and the valuable contributions they can make are put on display here, for the reader to consider.We all know by now that the mentally ill suffer from cruel and crude stereotypes and stigmas of being "defective," "crazy," and "weak", as well as a still-pervasive belief that they are generally prone to committing crimes. Here are two portraits of mentally ill people that show how they often do stand aside from mainstream society, yet inject that mainstream with important insights and inspiration.In the first story, "The Exalted Mortals," Lester, a young man with schizophrenia, finds through the darkness his niche in the world of art - he makes as his subjects the mentally ill and other people with disabilities, conveying to his audiences what contributions the disabled make, and how they strive to love be loved just as others do. He finds in the efforts of the disabled remarkable examples of what the human spirit is capable of, and there is the implication that even more could be accomplished if the seen and unseen barriers to the disabled were lowered.The second story, "Strange Jill," shines a light on the unique perspective of a mentally ill school girl, who knows what "cool" really is, and tries to teach a curious schoolmate what knowing is all about in this world.Neither story contains adult or otherwise explicit content, though the themes might best be discussed with the younger reader.

Meet the Naughty Princess Club: a brand new series from USA Today bestselling author Tara Sivec that introduces readers to Fairytale Lane and the hilarity—and romance—that ensue when three women start a new business to make it rain. Once upon a time Cynthia was the perfect housewife. Between being the President of the PTA and keeping her home spotless without a hair (or her pearls) out of place, her life was a dream come true. Her husband was once her knight in shining armor, but now he’s run off with all their money…and the babysitter. Dressed as a princess at the annual Halloween block party on Fairytale Lane, she meets two other “princesses” also facing money troubles: antique store owner Ariel and librarian Isabelle. When the women are invited to wear their costumes to a party where they’re mistaken for strippers, Cindy, Ariel, and Belle realize that a career change could be the best way to make their money problems go bippity-boppity-boo. But can structured Cindy approach a stripper pole without sanitizing wipes? And could the blue-eyed anti-prince that has been crossing her path become Cindy’s happily ever after? At the Stroke of Midnight is a hilarious, empowering story where princesses can save themselves while slaying in stilettos.

"Fans of stories centered on the conflict between the virtual and the real will find plenty to enjoy." — Publishers WeeklyNo one goes out anymore.Society is sheltered indoors. The economy is in ruins. People spend their lives addicted to a breakthrough virtual reality technology, desperate for escapism in a troubled world. The Nirvana Effect has taken over. Aaron and Clarissa are members of a subculture of realists who resist the lure of a fake utopia. They watch in horror as the technology spreads across the country with willing participants who easily forgo their freedoms for false pleasures. When the young couple discovers a plot to enforce compliance for mind control, the battle for free will begins. What started as a playful diversion turns deadly. The future of the human race is at stake.FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more...

The King of the Giants has met his match...When her brother goes missing, Ruth Hallbrook follows the only lead that she has – a story told to her by a strange woman she meets in town. Armed with a 'magical' shell that will supposedly guide her, all she has to do is repeat the words she hears when she puts it to her ear. That would have been fine if she could have understood what it was saying! One wrong word lands her in a kingdom filled with giants, including one very large, irritating one who thinks she belongs in his gilded cage – fat chance of that!An opportunity to escape for a little peace and quiet turns into a disaster when Koorgan, the King of the Giants, finds himself stuck in an old well. Unable to climb out, he is sure his only hope of rescue will come from the search party eventually finding him. The last thing he expects is his rescuer to be barely larger than his hand.Afraid that something might happen to the tiny creature, he...

From the authors of the New York Times bestselling parody The Hunger Pains, this fresh take on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit is a hilarious send-up of Middle-earth, publishing just in time for the major motion picture release of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.The sequel to the parody of the sequel to the prequel to The Lord of the Rings When Aaron Sorkinshield and his band of Little People embark on a totally feasible quest to reclaim the hoard of Academy Awards stolen from them by the lonely Puff the Magic Dragon, senile wizard Dumbledalf suggests an unlikely and completely unqualified accomplice: Billy Bagboy, an unassuming wobbit dwelling in terrorist-riddled Wobbottabad. Along the way, the company faces Internet trolls, moblins, one really big spider that must be at least an inch and a half wide, and worse. But as they journey from the wonders of Livinwell to the terrors of Jerkwood and beyond, Billy will...

The Sins of Allie Lawrence is a tale of temptation, inspired by the legend of Black Donald, and set against the vibrant world of the theatre.After a blazing row with her mother, sixteen-year-old Allie Lawrence impulsively runs away from the family home in Killiecrankie, with no plan other than to go to Edinburgh to and be an actor.Then a chauffeur-driven car pulls up beside her and she's offered a lift by its handsome and mysterious passenger, Nick. Against her better judgement, she accepts and soon discovers that he is a manager who claims he can make all her dreams come true.She just needs to sign a contract...