A homeless man, Richard Starr, sees a terrified woman struggling in rain-swollen Black Creek. As he reaches to pull her ashore she suddenly sinks in the murky water. He dives into the creek but can't find her. Neither can the police. They dismiss his report as a hoax. Later, Richard learns that his friend, Joe Baker, had been attacked. Joe told a mutual acquaintance he was sleeping under a bridge when the unknown assailant struck. At the time, it was dark, and Joe was drunk and disoriented, so he couldn't tell what was going on, except that he was being dragged into the creek. The assailant broke off the attack and escaped into the water after Joe clobbered him with a baseball bat. Now, Joe is missing. That night, Richard is sitting under the bridge while a thunderstorm rages. During intermittent bursts of lightning, he sees a boy being attacked. He rushes to help the kid but finds no one at the scene of the attack. Seeking an explanation for the mysterious events, he follows clues left by the boy and discovers a bizarre world dominated by terrifying creatures, bent on inflicting unthinkable horrors on him and on Humankind.

In a contemporary fairytale as irresistible as catnip, one girl discovers that some magic cuts deep...Emma's sister is missing. Her parents have spent all their savings on the search. And now the family has no choice but to live in a ramshackle trailer park on the edge of the forst, next door to down-and-out harpies, hags, and trolls. Emma wonders if she'll ever see Helena, and if she'll ever feel happy, again.Then she makes a friend.A smooth-talking, dirty-furred cat named Jack. He's got a razor-sharp plan to rescue Emma's sister. He just wants one small favor in return...

The Far Woods is threatened by a crime wave in this third chapter of the fanciful Beastly Crimes series. To Chief Badger, all clues point to the Arctic Fox as the culprit — but is it actually The Claws of Rage, a nefarious group of non-pedigreed agitators?

Death. Destruction. Decay. The fate of the clans hangs in the balance as Ryu Suzuki faces the ultimate battle of his life. War is coming, and with it comes the looming threat of the Bloodhound Prince, a diabolical necromancer determined to destroy everything Ryu holds dear. With enemies at every turn and the fate of the world resting on his shoulders, Ryu must confront his past and work alongside the man who destroyed his life, Micah McCorbyn, the White Lotus, and his mate. But can Ryu set aside his hatred and anger for the greater good? Or will the thin line between enemy and mate lead to his downfall? With death, destruction, and decay lurking at every turn, Ryu must navigate treacherous alliances and confront his darkest fears to save the clans from certain doom. Will he rise to the occasion or fall to the Bloodhound Prince's wrath? Warning: this a dark M/M romance, M/M enemies-to-lovers romance that includes, violence, gore, M/M werewolf shifter, mm paranormal romance, mm urban fantasy, M/M possessive romance, and M/M second chance romance.

A treasury of astonishing mythic marvels—and the surprising truths behind them Adrienne Mayor is renowned for exploring the borders of history, science, archaeology, anthropology, and popular knowledge to find historical realities and scientific insights—glimmering, long-buried nuggets of truth—embedded in myth, legends, and folklore. Combing through ancient texts and obscure sources, she has spent decades prospecting for intriguing wonders and marvels, historical mysteries, diverting anecdotes, and hidden gems from ancient, medieval, and modern times. Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws is a treasury of fifty of her most amazing and amusing discoveries. The book explores such subjects as how mirages inspired legends of cities in the sky; the true identity of winged serpents in ancient Egypt; how ghost ships led to the discovery of the Gulf Stream; and the beauty secrets of ancient Amazons. Other pieces examine Arthur Conan Doyle’s sea serpent and Geronimo’s dragon; Flaubert’s obsession with ancient Carthage; ancient tattooing practices; and the strange relationship between wine goblets and women’s breasts since the times of Helen of Troy and Marie Antoinette. And there’s much, much more. Showcasing Mayor’s trademark passion not to demythologize myths, but to uncover the fascinating truths buried beneath them, Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws is a wonder cabinet of delightful curiosities.

New York Times bestselling author Faith Hunter presents a stunning collection of stories from the world of shape-shifting vampire hunter Jane Yellowrock and beyond. Collected together for the first time, this volume contains shorter works featuring heroines Jane Yellowrock and Nell Ingram, as well as a host of other characters from the Jane Yellowrock and Soulwood series. Faith Hunter is “an expert at creating worlds filled with intriguing supernatural elements and exciting scenarios”* and her skills are on full display in this collection. From a vampire-filled Halloween evening in New Orleans to the searing tale of how a certain were-leopard first got his spots, this collection has something for everyone, and each story is sure to put the super in supernatural. With eighteen stories in all, Of Claws and Fangs will enrich and entertain—it’s a must-have for Faith Hunter’s readers and all lovers of fantasy. *RT Book Reviews

Three young men from very different homes, just coming into their own sexuality, bond at a time when information about homosexuality is scarce to the average teen. Their strong connection cannot survive high school and heartache, however, and their triangle collapses under the weight of prejudice and a need to escape. Ten years later, Tucker is bitter and hurt by all the tragedy in his life since those long ago happier days. Reclusive, somewhat animalistic, and completely content to stay that way, he’s brought up short by an unexpected confrontation with the past and feelings that won't stay buried.

When his DNA unlocked a cure for werewolves, Connor Lewis never imagined that would be the least of his concerns. Now he’s caught between two sides: born werewolves who want to preserve their way of life and bitten humans who want to save others from suffering their same fate. In the midst of a high stakes trial, werewolf hunters come calling, forcing Connor to make the decision of his life and figure out on which side of history he wants to stand. "The author deftly keeps all the furballs in the air. Incorporating elements of myth and religion, history and modern science, Kruger's action-packed thriller is a smart examination of teenaged alienation and rebellion, with fully fleshed out characters and just enough kitsch to appeal to a wide variety of readers." — Quill & Quire

“I need your help. Are you guys open for business?” Brian asked “Sure,” Kendall said. “Let me just grab my sister. She’d kill me if I left her out of a case.” “OK,” Brian said. Kendall went over to the door that led to the house and opened it. “JAMIE,” he yelled inside. “WE”VE GOT A CASE!” “Coming,” came the response from inside. A moment later Jamie popped through the door. “Hi, Brian. What’s up?” she asked. “I need you guys to help me,” Brian responded. “Peter Markham is going to sell some cat’s teeth at three o’clock today. I’m thinking of starting a collection.” Peter Markham is known for being dishonest. Is this his latest scheme? See if you can solve this 15-minute mystery before the Brodericks do. Similar to the old Encyclopedia Brown mysteries, these short mysteries give kids all the clues they need to solve the mystery, before revealing the answer on the last page, helping kids learn common sense and attention to detail. Ages 8 and up. LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books also work well as hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

Meet Captain Teggs Stegosaur and the crew of the amazing spaceship DSS Sauropod as the ASTROSAURS fight evil across the galaxy! Teggs and his crew visit the dinosaur Santa himself - Papa Claws. Strange dangers lurk in Papa's gift factory, and an old enemy is loose. Can the astrosaurs save Christmas across the universe and live to tell the tale? INCLUDES FREE COLLECTOR CARDS INSIDE!