Dreams-Come-True Coordinator at the Merriton Pediatric Hospital: an emotional job at the best of times. But with Christmas fast approaching, Andrea needs help even more desperately than usual. In particular, she needs someone willing to cosplay The Polar Terror, Yukon’s only home-grown supervillain—or super anything, for that matter. What she gets? Just a bit more than she expected… A heart-warming addition to Brooks’s popular Heroes & Villains series that reminds readers that even villains can grant wishes.
She sits on the lounge with her partner, sharing an unfulfilling jar of jellybeans. For the first time in her life, she dares to dream of something more. If only she could find the courage to act. For everyone who dreams of freedom, and of being truly loved and known. Also includes the short story Understanding.
The last time Joanna saw Ryan, someone died. Still, unlike everyone else, Joanna trusts Ryan. But does she trust him enough to help her enact revenge on her high school nemesis, who bullies her cruelly and mercilessly? Does she need to trust him, if she doesn’t care about the consequences? A dark, young adult fantasy tale about bullies, revenge—and unexpected consequences.
Horace Jones just wants a quiet life. But those pages lying there on the coffee table? They may spell disaster, the final spark to light the burning pyre of his privacy. A quirky, humorous story for everyone who ever dreamed of being famous—or had nightmares about it.
Jazrin just wants to go home. But the persistent sales woman insists: she sells dream vacations for all budgets. Perfect vacations. Dream vacations that take absolutely no time at all. All she needs? One minute of Jazrin’s trust. A sci-fi crime story about getting what you want—and losing what you have.
Everyone adores Morgan. Except Daddy. But Morgan can fix that. Never mind the price. A short, heart-wrenching tale about the unintended consequences of our desires—and super powers.
The rockets launch day and night, without ceasing, without fail—even on Christmas. In twelve hours, Sara’s fiancée Ash must board one of them and leave her behind forever; Government duty calls. So Sara vows to ensure their last night on Earth together sticks in their memories forever. A sweet romance about the lengths we go to for love.
From the creator of Myths Retold comes a hilarious collection of Greek, Norse, Chinese and even Sumerian myths retold in their purest, bawdiest forms! All our lives, we’ve been fed watered-down, PC versions of the classic myths. In reality, mythology is more screwed up than a schizophrenic shaman doing hits of unidentified…wait, it all makes sense now. In Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes, Cory O’Brien, creator of Myths RETOLD!, sets the stories straight. These are rude, crude, totally sacred texts told the way they were meant to be told: loudly, and with lots of four-letter words. Did you know? Cronus liked to eat babies. Narcissus probably should have just learned to masturbate. Odin got construction discounts with bestiality. Isis had bad taste in jewelry. Ganesh was the very definition of an unplanned pregnancy. And Abraham was totally cool about stabbing his kid in the face. Still skeptical? Here are a few more gems to consider: • Zeus once stuffed an unborn fetus inside his thigh to save its life after he exploded its mother by being too good in bed. • The entire Egyptian universe was saved because Sekhmet just got too hammered to keep murdering everyone. • The Hindu universe is run by a married couple who only stop murdering in order to throw sweet dance parties…on the corpses of their enemies. • The Norse goddess Freyja once consented to a four-dwarf gangbang in exchange for one shiny necklace. And there’s more dysfunctional goodness where that came from.
Every year, the tower fills with the souls of the dead. Every year, the city throws someone living in to lead the dead to the afterlife. Few succeed. Most join the dead. This year, it’s Freya’s turn. A very short story about confronting your fears—and discovering hope.
She lives in a rowhouse between rehabilitated crack addicts, sex offenders, and pensioners raising grandkids—and she does jobs. At odd hours, odd jobs that mean a little bit of safety here, one less predator on the streets there. Tonight, a knock at her door summons her down to the canal. What lurks in the night must prepare: she’s coming. Driven by a bone-deep longing for justice, Rock-a-bye is for everyone who ever wanted the strength to protect the people they love.
