Fantasy Patrick

The Blood Countess — Elizabeth Bathory, a true monster of history — is one of the most infamous serial killers. Said to have murdered 650 young women for their blood, she believed bathing in it would preserve her vitality and beauty. It's a story that has always fascinated archaeologist and TV host Annja Creed. Something so fantastic could only be a story. So what is Annja to make of the girl she finds dying on the side of the road…from blood loss?

Modern gods and goddesses, remote, revered - and like the pantheon of heroes and heroines of ancient myth - possessing great power tempered with flaws. Now, find within this anthology great tales by gifted and award-winning authors who move superheroes from the four-color panels of comic books to the fantastic pages of fiction, stories that will remind anyone who ever wanted to wear a cape or don a cowl of the extraordinary powers of the imagination!

One by one, I've seen my friends fall in love with the alien warriors on this planet. More than any other single girl on this planet, I want what they have—a mate. After a childhood in foster care and an adulthood littered with crappy boyfriends, I just want to find my place, my home, love. I want it more than anything, and I'm ready for it. What I'm not ready for? An enemy Gahn from beyond the mountains attacking our settlement in the dead of night. And even more than that? This bleeding Gahn with piercing silver eyes and brutal blades claims that I'm his mate.

I can't believe so many of my human friends have fallen in love with aliens. Sure, the Sea Sand warlords are strong and tall, and some might even say good-looking. I still think it's absolutely nuts to jump into a relationship with one of them. I will be avoiding all of that, thank you very much. That's what I keep trying to tell Galok, the arrogant, grinning warrior who refuses to leave me alone. I can't figure out what his deal is. There are far more willing humans than me in our camp, and we aren't even supposed to be mates in the first place.

I've spent most of my time on this alien planet alone in the wrecked human ship. Now that I'm living with the other girls and the barbarian warriors at the Cliffs of Uruzai, I'm finding it hard to adjust. These Sea Sand guys are just so... alien. They're nothing compared to the beast that comes stalking out of the shadows of the cliffs one night. He has a snout, claws, and a massive spiked tail. He's more monster than a man, and even worse than that, he claims he has a human mate. When his dark eyes settle on me, I know with a sinking feeling exactly who it is he's been looking for.

The current-day city of Fort Brazos, Texas, and the nearby Joint Reserve Base awaken to find that they have been abducted — scooped up whole and deposited inside a vast 4000-mile-long hollow alien world. Thousands have been killed in the wake of this harrowing event, leaving those who remain to fend for themselves in the absence of any outside aid. In the midst of this chaos, a power struggle between military and civilian leadership threatens to further complicate the situation.

A new generation comes of age 18 years after humanity arrived on the colony planet Gaia. Now threats from both within and outside their Trident threaten everything they've built. The discovery of an alien installation inside Gaia's moon, terrorist attacks and the kidnap of a man's daughter stretch the community to breaking point, but only two men stand a chance of solving all three mysteries before the makeshift planetary government shuts everything down.

Against all odds, the Ark and her 30,000 survivors have reached Tau Ceti G to begin the long, arduous task of rebuilding human civilization. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Tau Ceti G's natives, the g'tel, are coming to grips with the sudden appearance of what many believe are their long-lost gods.

After a tragic attack by an evil force, Alexa and her friend Yipes are stranded in a strange community known as The Five Stone Pillars. Each pillar of rock has its own secrets...and its own challenges. As darkness descends, Alexa must risk everything to defeat it - even if it means taking to the skies.

Cam is a Marine, not a spy. That’s what he keeps trying to tell Fleet Intelligence. But when he and Vicky signed back up, they agreed to follow orders. And their orders are to keep working for the Corporate Security Force, and find out what the private paramilitary force knows about Zan-Thint's plans to use Predecessor technology against the Commonwealth. Stuck leading a crew of cutthroat mercenaries - who want nothing more than to slaughter the wildcat miners, and take their rhenium ore - Cam and Vicky try to figure out why the Corporate Council is really interested in the mine.

A harrowing tale of space exploration turned survival nightmare. Filled with aliens, science, and suspense; Magwave blends the futuristic science fiction of Arthur C. Clarke with the twists and intrigue of a Tom Clancy thriller. Fresh off their historic discoveries on the Jupiter moon Callisto, the crew of the Rorschach Explorer and their colleagues in Mission Control should have known better. Space is not a lifeless vacuum. Dark and forbidding, it is a jungle where the rules of survival are no different than those on Earth: Keep your head on a swivel. Trust nothing you think you know.

Ryann and Lad are together and in love but not yet bonded. Wedding plans are underway, but they cannot marry until the mourning period for his father, the murdered king, ends. Waiting is sweet torture and gets harder all the time. Nox and Vancia are touring the world with his band, The Hidden, and enjoying their honeymoon. They’re also working to convince the holdout tribes in Europe, Asia, and Australia to disband their fan pods and sign the new peace treaty between the Dark and Light Courts. It’s the only way to ensure the safety of humans worldwide.

He will do anything to protect his unborn child. Lori Rowlands is done with the loser boyfriends she’s always picked; the kind that would play for a while and then leave her high and dry. She wants something sweet but passionate, where they can count on one another in a crisis. And that means her new boss, the rich, delicious lawyer Clifford Boone, is off limits. Or, isn’t he? A little play can’t hurt anybody, right? Clifford Boone knows how to seduce women. Being the boss, and being rich, definitely helps. Also, the women love to see when his inner bear comes out.

Having upset the Hamelyn Piper's dastardly plan to build an army through songs of mind control, 13-year-old Piper, Patch Brightwater, must foil the escaped villain's next sinister plot: assembling a suit of immortal armor. Accompanied by Wren, a girl cursed to live as a rat, and Barver, a fire-breathing dracogriff, Patch seeks the aid of old friends, legendary heroes, and a near-dead sorcerer.

Given the opportunity to make his dreams comes true, Henry Tsien decides to make a wish that will change his life forever. Now a newly created, low-leveled mage in a world that has hidden secrets and histories, he'll need to find a way to survive, level up, and pay his rent.

In his oppressively small 10x10 cell at the Norfolk Naval Station’s Brig, Captain Galvin Quintos sits awaiting his impending court-martial when he's unexpectedly contacted by Fleet Commander Admiral Block. He’s proposing an off-book, secret operation, coming at the request of the Pleidian Weonan Empress Shawlee Tee. For Quintos, telling Shawlee “no” was never an option. Unfortunately, according to the admiral, this very well could be a mission of no return.

After the recent near-destruction of the USS Hamilton, Captain Galvin Quintos has been lying low, getting the USS Jefferson ready for service. In the midst of refurbishing the vessel, he gets a call for help from his former XO, new starship captain Gail Pristy. The Varapin have lured the Ninth Fleet into a devious trap, and it’s not long before Quintos has his orders to hurry to the rescue. But the Varapin have a colossal new warship - one that puts anything the US Space-Navy has to shame.

Mercy has been keeping a secret from his loved ones and his village. A secret that could very well end his life. Descended from a group of ancient warriors from Aitus, Mercy is destined to become the greatest Keeper of Light the planet has ever seen, but one mistake will cost him everything.

The pulse hits without warning. In one harrowingly destructive instant, a mysterious seismic pulse in the Scottish Highlands rips away all semblance of global security. When peace is shattered, fear takes over. The stakes rise without mercy. As the pulse's chaos spreads across the world, it becomes painfully clear that Piper McCarthy - a child born like no other - might hold humanity's only hope of averting total disaster.

To protect Vega and her son from the demon-vampire Arnaud, I’ve secured spots for them in a powerful safe house. The price? Pledging my services to the Upholders - a group searching for stolen loved ones. My new teammates are a young minister, a snarky half-fae, a hulking mermaid, and a druid with major control issues. Bonded by said druid’s magic, I couldn’t wriggle out of this deal if I were coated in wizard’s oil. Now, we’re hunting demons in a past version of New York City that’s on the bad side of strange.