In war and love, all men have secrets. Javohir lost everything in the war. His mother died in its beginning, and right before the dragons forced a treaty between the dwarves and the humans who sought to take the wealth of their mountains, Javohir watched his brother die by a sadistic sorcerer. Struggling in the aftermath, love is the last thing he wants. Especially to fall in love with a druid, one of the few types of magic users to stay neutral during the war. But he hadn't prepared for Eoghan.Eoghan avoided people. A brand on his spine from an ex-lover and a path of dead bodies by that same man's hand told him the exact cost of his freedom, but if he must be alone, Eoghan will do the best he can with what he have - working hard to heal the forests and fields most hurt by the war.He couldn't afford love. Whoever grew close always ended up dead, so when he saw the handsome, gruff dwarf making the first merchant trek from the mountain since the war began, Eoghan intended to stay as far away as possible. A den of newborn wolf pups forced his hand, and touch-starved, Eoghan fumbled into a friendship too good to be true.When the knots of their past turn out to be more entwined than either could have predicted, will these two wounded men find true love? Or will their secrets tear them apart?
With his raven hair and snow-white skin, Lord Ansil Eirwin draws unwanted attention wherever he goes. After his father's untimely death, Ansil is set to become Duke of Ravenswood on his next birthday. The gallant and timid lord would never dream of shirking responsibility, so he subverts his desires in order to please his mother and new stepfather, Reginald.Orien Moore, known as the Huntsman, lives on the fringes and has forsaken close bonds with anyone, even the misfits he has taken in. When Orien is called upon by his brother, Reginald, to kill the pampered future duke, it is the perfect opportunity to seek revenge against his power-hungry brother. Orien formulates a plan to use Reginald's vicious request to his advantage by kidnapping Ansil and holding him hostage until he can fulfill his birthright.Soon Orien realizes that Ansil is nothing like he'd expected. Kind and joyful, Ansil enchants Orien and his ragtag group. And Ansil, in turn, cannot help but be curious about the gruff huntsman as Orien's vulnerabilities are exposed. Their mutual interest transforms into affection, followed by overwhelming desire. But they are living on borrowed time.With Reginald seeking power in Ravenswood, they have no way of knowing what will transpire once Orien returns Ansil to his proper place in society. The only certainty is that the odds are stacked against them. Will the young lord and his huntsman ever have the chance to experience the happily ever after they've found in each other's arms?***PLEASE NOTE: FOREVER MOORE is a romantic fairy tale-minus the magic-that features one reluctant lord, one brooding huntsman, and plenty of angsty, forbidden love. It's loosely based on a treasured fairy tale in a make-believe setting that isn't part of any specific time period and doesn't play by any traditional rules. (less)
A little pig is ready for a big day of swimming—she's packed a huge bag stuffed with toys, books, towels, hats, food, and more. But friends keep stopping the little pig on the way to the water. A dog borrows her flotation ring, a cat needs her sunhat, and a crocodile demands the little pig's sunglasses. A badger even gobbles up all the cookies—and the little pig just can't say no! But when she falls into mud and all the animals laugh at her, the little pig is fed up. She loses her temper and finally shouts NO. Will the friends she helped now help the little pig? And will she ever get to go swimming? The Story of the Little Pig Who Couldn't Say No is perfect for children who find it difficult to stand up to their own friends. Young readers and their parents will giggle at Sabine Wilharm's bright, energetic illustrations and will love Sabine Ludwig's sweet writing, translated by Connie Stradling Morby. This is the perfect book to share with children during lazy summer days or right before bed.
Crown Agent Jev Dharrow’s good dwarf friend Cutter is missing, as is the city’s master gem cutter. Jev doesn’t know who would want them, but he’s determined to find out. He hopes his fellow agent, Zenia, can help him locate the missing dwarves. Even though she rejected his offer of a romantic relationship because of their status differences, they have become good friends, and she has years of experience finding criminals. But this kidnapping is anything but simple. Jev and Zenia find themselves entangled in a snarled plot that threatens the entire kingdom while making them realize their true feelings for each other. If they can’t rescue the dwarves, deter an invasion, and stop an explosive plot to destroy half the city, they may lose everything they love. Including each other.
Her kiss will rock his world... Dragon shifter Rhys believes in what he can hold in his talons. A chef with his own restaurant, he is organized, practical, and distrusts surprises. When his firestorm sparks in the realm of Fae, he's sure it's an illusion created by the Dark Queen and a trap. Even though he wants a partner and family again more than anything else, Rhys isn't going to be seduced by a fake destined mate—even if the kiss of that beautiful selkie melts his very soul and is one temptation he can't resist... Selkie Lila learned long ago that her independence is her most precious possession. But Rhys challenges everything she believes to be true about mortals—he defends her right to choose, even at his own peril, and that's more seductive than Lila wants to admit. Is it just a trick to convince her to bear his son? Or is this Pyr warrior as honorable as he appears to be? When an ancient and evil dragon prince joins forces with the Dark Queen to eliminate both the Pyr and the selkies, Rhys and Lila must work together to save their kinds—and each other. When they plunge into unknown realms with only each other to rely upon, will their combined abilities be enough to triumph—or will they have to surrender more for their unborn son and the chance of a future together? *** The DragonFate Novels continue the story of Deborah's dragon shape shifting heroes called the Pyr. Each book is a romance in which a dragon shifter meets his destined mate—in DragonFate, those heroines have powers of their own. Maeve's Book of Beasts is a prequel to DragonFate that introduces both Maeve's evil plan to eliminate paranormal species from the world (including the Pyr) and the cast of characters assembling to defeat her. In it, you'll meet Sebastian, a vampire who has escaped Maeve and is building the team to destroy her, and Sylvia, the mortal librarian he chooses to hide the ancient volume stolen from Maeve. Sebastian gets more than he expects from Sylvia—never mind that Maeve wants her book back—and Sebastian's slow-burn romance with Sylvia will arc over the entire series. The other slow burn romance in this series features Mel, an immortal fae who needs to find true love to break the curse placed upon her. She's haunted by her late husband, Raymond, who betrayed her but wants to make it right. You can read Mel and Raymond's story, a romance that doesn't end happily and a retelling of a medieval French fairy tale, in Claire Delacroix's An Elegy for Melusine. The DragonFate series so far: 1. Maeve's Book of Beasts 2. Dragon's Kiss (dragon shifter Kristofer and Valkyrie Bree) 3. Dragon's Heart (dragon shifter Rhys and selkie Lila) 4. Dragon's Mate (dragon shifter Hadrian and swan maiden Rania) 5. Dragon's Wolf (dragon shifter Arach and wolf shifter Wynter) - May 2022 *** The Pyr first appeared in Deborah's Dragonfire series of paranormal romances, which is complete with 14 works and a world guide: 1. Kiss of Fire (Quinn and Sara) 2. Kiss of Fury (Donovan and Alex) 3. Kiss of Fate (Erik and Eileen) 4. Winter Kiss (Delaney and Ginger) 5. Harmonia's Kiss (a short story about the Dragon's Tooth Warriors) 6. Whisper Kiss (Niall and Rox) 7. Darkfire Kiss (Rafferty and Melissa) 8. Flashfire (Lorenzo and Cassie) 9. Ember's Kiss (Brandon and Liz) 10. Kiss of Danger (a Dragon Legion novella featuring Alexander and Katina) 11. Kiss of Darkness (a Dragon Legion novella featuring Damien and Petra) 12. Kiss of Destiny (a Dragon Legion novella featuring Thad and Aura) 13. Serpent's Kiss (Thorolf and Chandra) 14. Firestorm Forever (Sloane and Sam, plus Drake and Veronica, and Marcus and Jac. Yes, this book has THREE firestorms and is the big finish.) 15. Here Be Dragons: A Dragonfire Companion *** dragon shifter romance, vampire romance, librarian, new york city, manhattan, underground, hidden realms, dark fae, shifters, friends to lovers, opposites attract, destined mates, melusine, ghost romance, love triangle, valkyrie, selkie, swan maiden, shifters, urban fantasy romance, slow burn, enemies to lovers, psychic powers, witch, fated mate, enemies to lovers, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Donna Grant, Thea Harrison, Jennifer Ashley, Christine Feehan, Lara Adrian, G. A. Aiken, Genevieve Jack
As next in line for the Evergreen crown, Prince Merrick Davendall's future involves ruling, marriage, and producing an heir of his own. But he's long been tormented by desires that are far from princely. Especially when the beautiful Cassius is promoted to be his new valet, and Merrick is struck by a longing like never before-a longing to know him far beyond royal and servant. After his father's passing, Cassius Havendale's sole duty is to provide for his family. A promotion to serve a pampered prince is something he endures only for their sake. Surely Prince Merrick has no understanding of the true suffering of the common people, nor could he possibly understand what it's like to desperately desire something he cannot have. Except the prince is not at all what Cassius imagined. Kind, humorous, and caring to those in need, he also shares Cassius's affinity for the arts. In fact, Merrick understands his deepest vulnerabilities in a most remarkable way. As their affection deepens, the underlying tension between them becomes unbearable and they're unable to ignore it any longer. But when the queen prepares a lavish ball with all the eligible ladies in the land in attendance, Merrick must fulfill his obligations to his country, and Cassius has the needs of his family to consider. They've long known their stolen moments would have to come to an end, but are they ready to give up one another and the idea of a happily-ever-after? ***PLEASE NOTE: EVER AFTER is a romantic fairy tale-minus the magic-that features one compassionate prince, one brooding valet, and plenty of angsty, forbidden love. It's loosely based on a certain treasured fairy tale in a wintery make-believe setting that wouldn't be considered contemporary but also isn't based on any specific time period and doesn't play by any traditional rules. *Please be sure to read the Dear Reader letter in the book before you begin.
The solar system most of us grew up with included nine planets, with Mercury closest to the sun and Pluto at the outer edge. Then, in 2005, astronomer Mike Brown made the discovery of a lifetime: a tenth planet, Eris, slightly bigger than Pluto. But instead of adding one more planet to our solar system, Brown’s find ignited a firestorm of controversy that culminated in the demotion of Pluto from real planet to the newly coined category of “dwarf” planet. Suddenly Brown was receiving hate mail from schoolchildren and being bombarded by TV reporters—all because of the discovery he had spent years searching for and a lifetime dreaming about. A heartfelt and personal journey filled with both humor and drama, How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming is the book for anyone, young or old, who has ever imagined exploring the universe—and who among us hasn’t?
