Rogue & Gambit find themselves swept up on a date with Destiny which will change them bother forever and reveal startling secrets about the island of Krakoa! Destiny strikes your favorite X-Men couple! Krakoa is on a precipice. Destiny alone can see what’s coming — but the precog cannot act. For that, she’ll need her adoptive daughter, Rogue. Husbands need not apply…but with mutant duties stealing Rogue away so much these days, Gambit is determined to make the most of the mission and put some Cajun spice back into their increasingly complicated love affair. He just has to make it out of the bar first… Powerhouse writer Stephanie Phillips (Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman, MILLIE THE SPY) joins fan-favorite artist Carlos Gómez (X-TERMINATORS, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN) for a thrill ride that will lay bare some of Krakoa’s biggest secrets! COLLECTING: Rogue & Gambit (2022) 1-5

Everybody's favorite X-couple is reunited! And boy, are they not happy about that... Kitty Pryde must send Rogue and Gambit on an undercover mission to find a group of kidnapped mutants. What they discover on this mission will shock them. But will it also bring them closer together...? It's a high-stakes adventure caper that only the two hottest X-Men can deliver! COLLECTING: ROGUE & GAMBIT 1-5

Gambit and Rogue are throwing a party, and everyone is invited! Guest-starring every X-Man their apartment can fit! Hey, who invited the Thieves Guild?! And stuck in the Mojoverse! Rogue and Gambit are forced to relive moments of their past...but this time for the cameras! COLLECTING: MR. AND MRS. X 7-12

To the surprise of everyone, the Marvel Universe's hottest couple has tied the knot! But there's no time to enjoy wedded bliss when ROGUE and GAMBIT find themselves tasked with protecting a mysterious package that just about everyone in the galaxy is trying to steal. What secrets does this package hold that everyone from the Imperial Guard and the Starjammers to Technet and Deathbird (with an entire Shi'ar rebellion in tow!) will risk everything for?! Perhaps more importantly, is there anything worse than DEADPOOL crashing your honeymoon? COLLECTING: MR. AND MRS. X 1-6

An original novel written by New York Times best-selling author J. Elle inspired by Disney upcoming live action reimagining of The Little Mermaid.After the death of Ariel’s mother, the queen of the sea, the seven daughters of King Triton have grown estranged at best. It’s been years since Ariel’s older sisters have visited home. But this year’s Coral Moon is fast approaching, and it’s a special one for Ariel. Finally fifteen, she will be dubbed the Protector of her very own ocean territory as is tradition, and her sisters have agreed to visit for the celebration.But the ceremony is halted when Mala, one of the most renowned daughters of Triton, is abducted. The only clue to where she might have been taken is a hastily scribbled seaweed note, which says, “What could have saved Mother could save me, too.” To rescue Mala, Ariel must work together with her siblings, traveling to various seas, outsmarting dangerous ocean creatures, and delving into forbidden waters to find the truth of what happened to their mother. But as Ariel and her sisters begin uncovering new secrets about their family and their kingdom, Ariel will have to face the loss of a mother she never had a chance to know and discover what it means to be both a good sister and a strong leader.And the clock is ticking, because on the day of the festival, when the moon turns a true shade of coral, her sister will be lost, like her mother, forever

You have the blood of kings and rebels within you, love. Let it rise to meet the call. Isabelle of Kirklees has only ever known a quiet life inside the sheltered walls of the convent, where she lives with her mother, Marien. But after she is arrested by royal soldiers for defending innocent villagers, Isabelle becomes the target of the Wolf, King John's ruthless right hand. Desperate to keep her daughter safe, Marien helps Isabelle escape and sends her on a mission to find the one person who can help: Isabelle's father, Robin Hood. As Isabelle races to stay out of the Wolf's clutches and find the father she's never known, she is thrust into a world of thieves and mercenaries, handsome young outlaws, new enemies with old grudges, and a king who wants her entire family dead. As she joins forces with Robin and his Merry Men in a final battle against the Wolf, will Isabelle find the strength to defy the crown and save the lives of everyone she holds dear?

Timed to the 75th anniversary of Disney’s enduring classic Alice in Wonderland, this young adult sequel follows teenaged Alice on a curious new adventure down the rabbit hole, many years after her first visit to Wonderland.Now eighteen, Alice feels much more comfortable spending her days in Wonderland than in the “real” world. After all, no one in Wonderland will judge you for being strange! But things in Wonderland have seemed off lately, especially when Alice encounters another teen, and then another . . . both of whom also claim to be named Alice.Before long, card soldiers capture all three Alices, and they are taken to the Queen of Hearts’ castle, where a strange truth is it has been prophesied that a “blue Alice” would one day save Wonderland from terrible peril. Ever since, the White Rabbit has been opening portals to Wonderland for children dressed in blue named Alice. And now, the foretold danger has three terrifying dragons have appeared in Wonderland, from the worlds beyond the doors in Doorknob’s hallway.The Queen declares that the Alice who can save Wonderland will be named “The Alice” . . . and the others will be cast out, never allowed to return. So Alice sets out on a quest to save the land she loves, meeting new friends and enemies along the way, including a strange boy who she isn’t sure she can trust. Is Alice truly “The Alice,” or is she just a footnote in someone else’s story?

Merida goes on an all-new, life-changing adventure in this original YA novel set several years after the close of Brave! What if you had one year to save everything you loved? ONE PRINCESS. Merida of DunBroch needs a change. She loves her family—jovial King Fergus, proper Queen Elinor, the mischievous triplets— and her peaceful kingdom. But she’s frustrated by its sluggishness; each day, the same. Merida longs for adventure, purpose, challenge – maybe even, someday, love. TWO GODS. But the fiery Princess never expects her disquiet to manifest by way of Feradach, an uncanny supernatural being tasked with rooting out rot and stagnation, who appears in DunBroch on Christmas Eve with the intent to demolish the realm – and everyone within. Only the intervention of the Cailleach, an ancient entity of creation, gives Merida a shred of hope: convince her family to change within the year – or suffer the eternal consequences. THREE VOYAGES. Under the watchful eyes of the gods, Merida leads a series of epic journeys to kingdoms near and far in an attempt to inspire revolution within her family. But in her efforts to save those she loves from ruin, has Merida lost sight of the Clan member grown most stagnant of all – herself? FOUR SEASONS TO SAVE DUNBROCH – OR SEE IT DESTROYED, FOREVER.

Revisit Rapunzel and Eugene from Disney's Tangled as they race to protect their kingdom, in this thrilling new fantasy adventure penned by New York Times bestselling author Margaret Owen. Rapunzel knows nothing about her neighboring kingdom, Astera – and not just because she only left her tower a month ago. The famously reclusive island has limited its contact with outsiders for decades. So when a suspicious invitation arrives welcoming Rapunzel to the Asteran princess’s coming of age ceremony, and offering her a chance to be useful for the first time since she lost her healing powers, Rapunzel accepts – and unwittingly plunges herself and her companion, Eugene, into a tangled knot of political intrigue and magical secrets. Eugene is just happy to get one last adventure with Rapunzel before his criminal background catches up with him and prevents their happy ending. Yet as they’re drawn further into the country’s problems, they uncover truths about Eugene’s parentage that point to deeper unrest in Astera, and suddenly the fate of their own kingdom, not just their personal dreams, is at stake. Thrust into a power struggle between Astera’s beloved princess, Verette, its domineering king, Enver, and a mysterious secret society, Rapunzel and Eugene race to protect their home from an unsettlingly familiar threat and discover that the past can either hold them back, or help them blossom. A cunning king. A devious princess. Best. Week. Ever.

There's more to writing a successful fantasy story than building a unique world or inventing new magic. How exactly is a plot put together? How do you know if your idea will support an entire novel? How do you grab reader attention and keep it? How do you create dynamic, multi-dimensional characters? What is viewpoint and do you handle it differently in urban fantasy than in traditional epics? What should you do if you're lost in the middle? How do you make your plot end up where you intend it to go? From the writing of strong, action-packed scenes to the handling of emotions, let award-winning fantasy author Deborah Chester guide you through the process of putting a book together. Convinced there's no need to shroud the writing process under a veil of mystery, Chester supplies tips that are both practical and proven. They are exactly what she uses in writing her own novels and what she teaches in her writing courses at the University of Oklahoma. Along with explaining story construction step-by-step, Chester illustrates each technique with examples drawn from both traditional and urban fantasy. The technique chapters include exercises to assist novices in mastering the craft of writing fantasy as well as suggestions for avoiding or solving plot problems. More experienced writers will find tips for taking their work to the next level. With an introduction by author Jim Butcher, The fantasy fiction formula provides the information you need to gain skill and proficiency in writing fantasy like a pro.

Category romance is a precise art. With such a small word count, writing the perfect category romance is a little like writing a haiku. But how do you write a book in seventeen syllables? How can you cram compelling conflict, satisfying character development, and toe-curling romantic tension into less than sixty thousand words? In Crafting Category Romance , two-time RITA™-nominated author of nearly one hundred books Amy Lane describes the rules of engagement, traps to watch out for, and how to leverage common tropes to create conflict, craft a character, develop a plot, and leave readers with a happy ever after that's different every time―all in a tidy package. With practical exercises in plot, conflict, and character development, Crafting Category Romance  will teach you how to use the rigid rules and expectations of the genre to your advantage and win a loyal readership following for life.

Following on the heels of Lisa Cron's breakout first book, Wired for Story, this writing guide reveals how to use cognitive storytelling strategies to build a scene-by-scene blueprint for a riveting story. It’s every novelist’s greatest pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into writing hundreds of pages only to realize that their story has no sense of urgency, no internal logic, and so is a page one rewrite. The prevailing wisdom in the writing community is that there are just two ways around this pantsing (winging it) and plotting (focusing on the external plot). Story coach Lisa Cron has spent her career discovering why these methods don’t work and coming up with a powerful alternative, based on the science behind what our brains are wired to crave in every story we read (and it’s not what you think). In Story Genius Cron takes you, step-by-step, through the creation of a novel from the first glimmer of an idea, to a complete multilayered blueprint—including fully realized scenes—that evolves into a first draft with the authority, richness, and command of a riveting sixth or seventh draft.

Get to Know Your Character's Sinister Side A truly memorable antagonist is not a one-dimensional super villain bent on world domination for no particular reason. Realistic, credible bad guys create essential story complications, personalize conflict, add immediacy to a story line, and force the protagonist to evolve. From mischief-makers to villains to arch nemeses, "Bullies, Bastards & Bitches" shows you how to create nuanced bad guys who are indispensable to the stories in which they appear. Through detailed instruction and examples from contemporary bestsellers and classic page-turners, author Jessica Page Morrell also shows you how to: Understand the subtle but key differences between unlikeable protagonists, anti-heroes, dark heroes, and bad boys Supply even your darkest sociopath with a sympathetic attribute that will engage readers Set the stage for an unforgettable standoff between your hero and your villain Choose the right type of female villain&#150femme fatale, mommy dearest, avenger, etc.&#150for your story "Bullies, Bastards & Bitches" is your all-encompassing bad-guy compendium to tapping into any character's dark side.

What makes a romance novel a romance? How do you write a kissing book? Writing a well-structured romance isn’t the same as writing any other genre—something the popular novel and screenwriting guides don’t address. The romance arc is made up of its own story beats, and the external plot and theme need to be braided to the romance arc—not the other way around. Told in conversational (and often irreverent) prose, Romancing the Beat can be read like you are sitting down to coffee with romance editor and author Gwen Hayes while she explains story structure. The way she does with her clients. Some of whom are regular inhabitants of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. Romancing the Beat is a recipe, not a rigid system. The beats don’t care if you plot or outline before you write, or if you pants your way through the drafts and do a “beat check” when you’re revising. Pantsers and plotters are both welcome. So sit down, grab a cuppa, and let’s talk about kissing books.

Expert advice on how to stage the perfect event every time "A terrific resource of information for anyone in the event-planning business." --James Spellos, CMP, President, Meeting U. Meeting & Event Planning For Dummies is a practical step-by-step guide to the strategies and techniques event-planning professionals use to bring people together. This comprehensive resource covers all the angles from the little details to the big picture to make sure your business meetings and special events come off without a hitch! Praise for Meeting & Event Planning For Dummies "Packed with valuable information in an easy-to-use format. [It] covers all the basics for the meeting planning novice." --Diane Silberstein, President, Diane Silberstein & Associates "A great resource book every event professional should have.... Checklist heaven! We all love our checklists, and this book is full of them!" --Cathy Breden, CAE, CMP

Rome, 63 BC. In a city on the brink of acquiring a vast empire, seven men are struggling for power. Cicero is consul, Caesar his ruthless young rival, Pompey the republic's greatest general, Crassus its richest man, Cato a political fanatic, Catilina a psychopath, Clodius an ambitious playboy. The stories of these real historical figures - their alliances and betrayals, their cruelties and seductions, their brilliance and their crimes - are all interleaved to form this epic novel. Its narrator is Tiro, a slave who serves as confidential secretary to the wily, humane, complex Cicero. He knows all his master's secrets - a dangerous position to be in. From the discovery of a child's mutilated body, through judicial execution and a scandalous trial, to the brutal unleashing of the Roman mob, Lustrum (US: Conspirata) is a study in the timeless enticements and horrors of power.