Modern Fiction

Something sinister lurks in the shadows of Austin, Texas—and it hungers for blood. Agent Mendoza’s superiors say it’s a vamp, and to let the local coven handle their own messes. Despite their orders, Tony Mendoza can’t leave well enough alone. That’s because he’s seen things—dark, deadly creatures, the kind that make you want to keep the lights on at night. He knows what it’s like to be hunted, and he can’t simply stand by when innocent lives are at stake.

Two murderous Celtic goddesses...a journeyman druid on the run...and a sealed grimoire that holds the key to his survival. Can Colin unlock it in time to save the people he loves? Colin McCool here, junkyard druid and trouble magnet extraordinaire. Recently, I fought the giant king of Jotunheim in a bid to save my druid master’s life. I failed in that task - now it’s up to me to keep druidry alive. Problem is, the Mórrígan and her sorceress sidekick Fuamnach are out to erase me from the face of the Earth.

It’s been only days since Rowan and her friends eliminated the immediate threat to magic users and vampires, but they’re already back on the hunt. Rowan’s out for vengeance, and she’s never been more driven - or angry. But she’s up against a being stronger than any she’s ever fought. To bring it down, she’ll need more than the powers the goddess, Brigid, gave her.... This time she’ll need her friends, too.

A Heartless can't fall in love. Arden Archer is cursed: she can see the Unseelie fae, a gift that sends the women in her family to an early grave. Then a handsome and dark fae prince makes her a tempting promise: if she offers herself as his Tithe, the curse will be lifted and her younger sister will be saved from madness. But there can be only one Tithe. Every seven years, the faerie regents pit cursed humans against one another, offering salvation to both the victor and the fae. This year, Arden is one of those human competitors—a Heartless—and with the help of the Midnight Prince, ...

Vanessa Larkin just agreed to an out-of-town job assignment over the holidays. With the promise of a hefty bonus if she can get things done by the new year she heads for tiny Fraser Hills. Determined to succeed, she’s not worried about whipping the shutdown process into overdrive to meet the challenge. Only when she gets there she realizes her bosses haven’t been upfront with the town. Mike Marshall, a widower raising a teenaged daughter, is angry to find out that his grandfather has sold the family business to some big corporation.

Hat, ribbon, bird rose. To the people on the island, a disappeared thing no longer has any meaning. It can be burned in the garden, thrown in the river or handed over to the Memory Police. Soon enough, the island forgets it ever existed. When a young novelist discovers that her editor is in danger of being taken away by the Memory Police, she desperately wants to save him. For some reason, he doesn't forget, and it's becoming increasingly difficult for him to hide his memories. Who knows what will vanish next?

Their lives weren’t meant to collide… She is known as the Sehgal Princess—beautiful, cold and unattainable. After a scandal took over her life, Sheena Sehgal has kept up a perfect façade in front of the world for years. Only those closest to her, knew her, the real her. With no real purpose and sense of direction, her life is dull, boring and meaningless, but all that changes once she meets Rajiv Mehra. He irks her like no other. She doesn’t like him. Yet, she ends up falling for him. But one chance meeting changed everything... Rajiv Mehra, ruthless shipping magnate, and playboy, ...

What happens when a royal daddy falls for his child's live-in nanny? Widowed Prince Mikos Colin Alexander wants to raise his little girl out of the spotlight. Granted a six-month leave from his royal duties, he escapes to Los Angeles, posing as a regular guy, one in need of a live-in nanny. Colin reluctantly hires Darcy Cooper, the curvy beauty who easily wins over his baby duchess. But soon the lush, love-shy American wins him over, too. Now he's torn between duty to the crown and what feels like his newfound family.

Magic is real, fairies are assholes, and everyone knew about it but me...Sera Allen needs a change. The family house she inherits is the perfect place for a fresh start, except for the sexy neighbor she’d ditched years before and the surprise fairies living across the street. Before long, she’s neck-deep in magic, Fae, and zombie bunnies, and her tenuous connection to her powers relies on the one man she wants to avoid. With a dark force threatening the town, they’ll have to face their pasts and overcome their distrust to have any chance at a future.

Things are not going well for Inspector Salvo Montalbano. His relationship with Livia is once again on the rocks and - acutely aware of his age - he is beginning to grow weary of the endless violence he encounters. Then a young woman is found dead, her face half shot off and only a tattoo of a sphinx moth giving any hint of her identity. The tattoo links her to three similarly marked girls - all victims of the underworld sex trade.

Bold and lyrical, sensual and highly charged, Cereus Blooms at Night is the beautifully written, sensational first novel by Shani Mootoo, one of Canada’s most exciting literary voices. At the core of this haunting multi-generational novel are the shifting faces of Mala - adventurer and protector, recluse, and madwoman. Told by the engaging voice of Tyler, Mala’s vivacious male caretaker at the Paradise Alms House, Cereus Blooms at Night is layered with unforgettable scenes of a world where love and treachery collide.

Vacillating between a desire to get high and a yearning for a substance-free life, she finds herself alternating between cocaine and yoga, dependence and freedom. Will she be able to let go of her self-abuse and find sobriety one day, and one breath, at a time? An addict who once disappeared into crack dens, she now seeks solace at yoga studios. As Jessica attempts to create a path to recovery “on the mat” and in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous, she grapples with one unanswerable question: Is recovery worth it?

President William Darcy has it all: wealth, intelligence, and the most powerful job in the country. Despite what his friends say, he is not lonely in the White House. He’s not. And he has vowed not to date while he’s in office. Nor is he interested in Elizabeth Bennet. She might be pretty and funny and smart, but her family is nouveau riche and unbearable. Unfortunately, he encounters her everywhere in Washington, DC - making her harder and harder to ignore.

Embark on an extraordinary journey with Nius, where love, music, and the passage of time intertwine. In this gripping tale, an old man's life is abruptly ended by a nuclear blast, only to find himself reborn as a thirteen-year-old. But there's a twist in this new timeline. His beloved husband exists as a three-year-old, and our protagonist must endure a seventeen-year wait to reunite with him. Patience becomes his guiding mantra, and his soul yearns for the harmonious embrace they once shared. Arising from the sudden despair, a life-altering opportunity emerges – a local talent ...

Twenty-three stories, all unabridged, from a diverse group of star writers and readers. A truly memorable collection with a wide appeal. Includes "The Years Midnight" by Helen Simpson, read by Harriet Walter; "On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful Morning" by Haruki Marukami, read by Walter Lewis; "Bablady" by A. S. Byatt, read by Roslaind Eyres; "Hotel des Vaoyaguerus" by William Boyd, read by Martin Jarvis; and "Who?" by Fay Weldon, read by Julie Christie.

Loosely inspired by the legend of Camelot, Dark Sexy Knight tells the story of dinner theater knight Colt Lane, who meets down-on-her-luck Verity Gwynn on the worst day of her life. Evicted from their home, Verity and her special-needs brother, Ryan, must find jobs or risk being separated. Colt, who is the furthest-possible thing from a white knight in real life, comes to their unlikely rescue, quickly cementing his place in Verity's heart.

On Libby Bennet’s To Do list • Put that arrogant Will Fitz in his place. He bet Libby $50 that she couldn’t find a date to prom. Maybe Libby wasn’t interested in prom before, but now, it’s on. • Help her heartbroken sister, Jane. Teo’s been in love with her for years, and now, when Jane’s finally interested, he blows her off. Jane insists Teo has moved on, but Libby knows there is no way he could have forgotten her sister so easily. • Figure out what to do about Jeremiah, the new guy in school that her mother invited to LIVE WITH THEM. Every day he’s the star of his own ...

Things are getting serious at the Society for Magickal Heritage. An ancient legend has plans for Ves, and Ves has plans for just about everything else. It’s time to take on the ultimate challenge—and hope for the best. What could possibly go wrong? Well, everything. As usual. But if old magick is going to survive in the modern world, it’s no use being cautious. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, and Ves is giving it everything she’s got. But can she handle the cost? And can the cost handle her?

Urban Poetry & Truth: The Echo of the Streets Raw. Real. Resilient. The streets have a voice—do you hear it? Urban Poetry & Truth: The Echo of the Streets is a lyrical journey through the grit, soul, and unbreakable spirit of city life. Through powerful storytelling, rhythmic flow, and hard-hitting truth, this collection captures the voices of those who live, love, fight, and survive in the urban landscape. Divided into Three Powerful Sections: The Streets & The Struggle – Survival, injustice, and the fight to make it through another day.

When Kelly Donovan arrives by ferry on an isolated island in the middle of the Puget Sound, she only wants to paint the mural she has been commissioned to create for the daughter of world-renowned financier and entrepreneur Harrison St. John, and then move on. But from Kelly's first night at the Manor, a mysterious woman in yellow begins to haunt her dreams urging Kelly to "find the truth." Petals from a gardenia, the signature flower of Elizabeth St. John who died tragically in a drowning accident two years earlier, show up on Kelly's pillow that night after night. Like it or not, Kelly is...