Amy Sumida

There are some things that really annoy Vervain Lavine. Like when people call her Vivian; “Vervain's an herb, look it up.” Or when people don't get her movie quotes; “Why doesn't anyone appreciate culture anymore?” But what really bothers her, what gets her little witchy panties in a twist, is when gods manipulate humans. “They're not even really gods, just Atlanteans playing dress up!” Yeah, that's right, the gods are Atlanteans. Basically a bunch of refugees who decided to take over. It was a sweet deal for them, at least back when we believed in them and all. Not so much anymore. Nowadays, there ain't too many folks lining up at the altars to give their offerings, and gods are suffering for it. Without our sacrifices, the gods don't have enough juice to keep living in the manner to which they've grown accustomed. So they came up with a plan. It was so easy actually. All they had to do was get us to fight amongst ourselves, go to war. When our kind die, they suck up the energy like a temperature-resistant fat man drinking a milkshake line-up. Not such a bad idea, and it's worked for quite awhile. Up until Vervain found out. Now, don't get the wrong idea. Vervain's no Laura Croft. She can't bench press 200 lbs or shoot laser beams out of her eyes either. She does have magic on her side though and a few little tricks up her sleeve, or up her gloves rather. So she's not completely defenseless and she'll do whatever she has to in order to end this threat of divine proportions. Even if it means assassinating one god at a time. Her greatest annoyance is yet to come though, in the form of a gorgeous Viking God who swears he's on her side. If she can keep her eyes off his leather pants long enough, they might even stand half a chance.

11 Short Stories to Warm You on a Cold Winters' Night! Amy Sumida JL Akins HL Nighbor HK Khan JL Akins K Swanson Nikki Bolvair ZL Morris AJ Anders Lyn Forester LA Kirk

In Volume 3, you will find stories from Amy Sumida (author of Godhunters, Twilight Court, and Spellsinger series) and Montana Ash (author of the Elemental Paladins series). Making their debuts are J.L. Akins, H.K. Khan, Desi Lin, T.B. Mann, and Z.L. Morris. Codename: Goldilocks by Amy Sumida Find fourteen missing women and apprehend an entire werewolf pack. No problem. It's just another mission for SCCIT agent Tempest Alexander, Codename: Goldilocks. At least, that's what she thought. Then she met the Medvedev brothers and all thought went out the window. Her Reasons by J.L. Akins Joey has learned the art of being invisible. With an abusive father at home and a bully at school, her goal is to fly under the radar. So why are the new guys suddenly determined to get to know her? And why does she suddenly want to be seen? Ivory’s Familiars by Montan Ash Ivory isn’t expecting the immediate and intense attraction to not just one, but all three of her new bodyguards. Seth, Ronan, and Vaughn are deliciously distracting. But distractions are the one thing she can’t afford, for one tiny slip could expose her for what she truly is; a witch. Sanguine by H.K. Khan Vampires 'came out' nearly a century ago, and have convinced the world that they are model citizens. There are official 'donors', and everything seems on the up and up. But that's not necessarily the case. There's a black market trade for blood slaves, where they try to strip you of everything that makes you human...even your name. Claiming Flame by Desi Lin Life isn’t easy, especially when Sera has to change schools every year. Add to that a dorm matron with a vendetta against her and life just about sucks. The only upside are the three boys who refuse to leave her alone, despite her prickly personality. But can Sera learn to let them in? Savor Life by T.B. Mann A chance encounter and a medical emergency bring Aria, Chad, Doug, and Jason together for their ten days of fun in the sun. Love is in the air, but can it really work when four are involved? Or are they doomed to suffer more loss in their lives? Benji’s Decision by Z.L. Morris After Benji and his best friends, Shayne and Morgan, rescue Arlia at their local club, they form a friendship with her that soon develops into love. But will the three friends follow their hearts or will they decide their friendship is too important to risk over a girl?

My life changed the day I tried to take his. Mhavenna is a glorious city but, like every city on the face of Serai, it's run by Dragons. As a human, I'm on the lowest rung of the racial ladder here, as far from an illustrious Dragon as I could be, and I've made me peace with that. I don't like Dragons much, but like or dislike has nothing to do with my work. So when my broker offered me the task of killing the Dragon King, I took it. It was the sort of kill that could make an assassin's career, and I was certain that I had the skills for it. I was wrong, nearly dead wrong. The King caught me before I could finish the job, but instead of killing me, he made me his. I'm now the Dragon King's assassin. A warning and a weapon. A way for him to bypass his own laws without personally breaking them. But that's not all. He's tasked me with guarding him against future attacks. Who better to stop an assassin than another assassin? And who better to find the one who hired us? If only the King didn't have a body that made me salivate, a face that made my knees weak, and a pair of teal eyes that made me whimper. If only he didn't stare at me with those stunning eyes as if I could be more than property to him. Maybe then I could do my job, find the person who wants him dead, and save my own life. But I don't believe in miracles.

Elaria Tanager comes from two old, distinguished family lines. As in ancient and divine. Her father's people are witches, and her mother's are sirens, which makes her something very rare. Elaria is a spellsinger, able to weave words into witchcraft, and she's made a lucrative business out of her talents. Need someone to change their mind? No problem. Rather have them dead? Sure, but it'll cost you extra. Anything is possible, if Elaria sings the right lyrics. She's made a name for herself within the paranormal community, and now a fairy duke has come all the way from Tir Nan Og to hire her. The pay is impressive, but so is the target. The Onyx King of the Shining Ones, one of the most powerful magic users in all the realms, and someone wants him dead. Despite her misgivings, sentiment sways her, and Elaria takes the job. If she can catch him off guard, she'll be able to kill the Onyx King with just a single song. But intrigue abounds in Tir Nan Og, and the King of Onyx may not be the villain she was led to believe. Will he be able to change her tune or will this be the spellsinger's last lullaby?

Everything changed the day I saved his life. I used to hide my magic. Mainly because I didn't want to be persecuted. I mean, even more so than I already was for being human. Humans aren't supposed to have magic. It's what makes us susceptible to the Corrupter's infection. And I don't just have one type of magic. I have all the elements, even Spirit—the element only Wraith Lords control. At best, the other races of Varr would see me as a mutant. At worst, a threat. Then the Corrupter attacked our village. Two Wraith Lords came to defend us, but despite their superior skill with swords and Spirit Magic, I knew one of them would die. So, I used my magic to save him. It was the best decision I've ever made. His name is Ratharin. He's brutally handsome, with hair as black as a raven's wing and lavender eyes that I could happily stare into for days. As a Wraith Lord, his honor is unquestionable and his bravery is infallible. He has a body honed to kill and magic granted him by the Goddess herself. Everything about him makes me shiver and salivate. And he wants to take me with him. To meet the Emperor. To help him fight the Corrupter. To start a new life. No more hiding. I'll get to be myself. But the best bit, the thing that made me say yes, is I'll be a part of Rath's life. For that, I'll do anything.

Happily ever after doesn't always come easy. Sometimes you have to fight for your fairy tale

I met him at the end of my sword. Not the most romantic of introductions but it suited us. We're both warriors; he's a lord of the Wild Hunt of Fairy, and I'm an extinguisher—a psychic soldier trained from birth to protect our world from his kind. Attraction arced between us like lightning. I saw it in his eyes, watched them shift from frigid silver to molten metal. Despite all of that, I knew it could go nowhere. Fairies killed my mother and her death nearly destroyed my father. Then there's the fact that extinguishers don't date outside our society. A human would be bad enough, but a fairy? That's not just frowned upon, it's forbidden. We cannot be together. It's impossible. And that's fine. I've got bigger things to worry about. Like my new charge: a dryad who just informed us of a fairy plot to exterminate the human race. I'll focus on her and ignore the wild thrumming of my blood every time I look at him. I'm a professional; I can handle one arrogant, annoying, stubborn, dangerously sexy fairy hunter who won't stop staring at me as if I'm already his. I'm not one of his delicate, Fey ladies, longing to swoon into his arms. I carry an iron sword and iron is poison to Fairies. If he gets too close, he'll be the one swooning. The Twilight Court is a slow-build Reverse Harem, Urban, Paranormal, Fantasy Series full of Fairies, psychic warriors, witches, and shapeshifters!