THE DREAD OF THIS DESOLATION The Desolation stretches beyond the Northern Reach, a blighted place, poisoned by dark magic and infested with undead. Fools and heroes alike test their mettle against the dangers this land poses, forcing them to contend with bloodthirsty vampires or dust storms of apocalyptic proportions. This sourcebook reveals one of the most dangerous places in the lands of Rûl, providing new options for players and Game Masters alike, such as: Revenant, Salamander, and Vampire ancestries New paths including the Prince of Darkness and Slayer of the Dead The Blood tradition and new spells for existing traditions Details about the Desolation and surrounding lands New relics and creatures like the Cauldron of Death and the Desiccated One A new adventure! Tombs of the Desolation reveals more details about the world of the Demon Lord, giving you all the tools you need to tell stories set in a desert wasteland!

Kerry's got a tough night ahead of her. What begins as a simple lost-and-found trip to the Laundromat turns into a nightmarish odyssey of murder, vampires, and--quite possibly--true love. Vivian Vande Velde puts a terrifying spin on what should be a typical night in a small town.

The romantic horror genre reaches a new level of complexity in this novel, which manages to be simultaneously thought-provoking and blood-curdling. Kerry becomes the unwitting accomplice of an attractive, mysterious boy on the run, only to discover that he is a vampire. Can she trust her feelings for someone so alien to her? Or has she been "seduced by the glamour of evil"? An ALA Best Book for Young Adults, this was called "a tingly thriller" by Horn Book.

A THRILLING, PAGE-TURNING TALE OF ADVENTURE AND FORBIDDEN PASSION...

Syrie James approaches Bram Stoker's classic Dracula with a breathtaking new perspective--as, for the first time, Mina Harker records the shocking story of her scandalous seduction and sexual rebirth.

Who is this magnetic, fascinating man? And how could one woman fall so completely under his spell?

Mina Harker is torn between two men. Struggling to hang on to the deep, pure love she's found within her marriage to her husband, Jonathan, she is inexorably drawn into a secret, passionate affair with a charismatic but dangerous lover. This haunted and haunting creature has awakened feelings and desires within her that she has never before known, which remake her as a woman.

Although everyone she knows fears him and is pledged to destroy him, Mina sees a side to him that the others cannot: a tender, romantic side; a man who's taken full advantage of his gift of immortality to expand his mind and talents; a man who is deeply in love, and who may not be evil after all. Soon, they are connected in a way she never thought humanly possible.

Yet to surrender is surely madness, for to be with him could end her life. It may cost Mina all she holds dear, but to make her choice she must learn everything she can about the remarkable origins and unique, sensuous powers of this man, this exquisite monster, this ... Dracula!

A Picky Eater's Quest to Understand Why We Hate the Foods We Hate

“Using humor, gusto, and her sensitive if skeptical palate to great effect, Stephanie Lucianovic explains the mechanics of picky eating. She shows us why we like some foods and not others, and illuminates the mysteries of our sense of taste. It takes a picky eater to understand picky eaters, and we should all be grateful for Lucianovic’s inspired work.”—Amanda Hesser, co-founder of FOOD52.com and author of The Essential New York Times Cookbook

As a child Stephanie Lucianovic lived for years on grilled cheese and created an elaborate system for disposing of revolting food involving bookshelves, holiday centerpieces, and, later, boyfriends. She agonized not over meeting her future in-laws, but over the peaches they served her. As an adult, this picky eater found herself in the most unlikely of circumstances: a graduate of culinary school who became a cheesemonger and then a food writer. Along the way, she realized just how common her plight was. It wasn’t surprising to discover that picky eating is an issue for millions of kids, but who knew there are even support groups for adults who can’t overcome it? Yet remarkably little is known about the science of picky eating, and cultural and historical questions abound. Are picky eaters destined to ascend to a higher plane of existence, and what happens when picky eaters fall in love or go to restaurants? How can you tell if you’re a “supertaster”? How does the gag reflex affect pickiness (and what secrets do sword swallowers impart to help overcome it)?

“Hilarious and honest, Suffering Succotash is a fascinating read if you’ve ever gagged on your greens (or know someone who has).”—Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, authors of Spoiled and founders of GoFugYourself.com

Suffering Succotash is a wide-angle look into the world of picky eating, told by a writer who’s been in the culinary trenches. With wit and charm, through visits to laboratories specializing in genetic analysis, attempts to infiltrate the inner workings of a “feeding” clinic, and interviews with fellow picky eaters and adventurous foodies young and old, Stephanie explores her own food phobias and gets to the bottom of what repulses us about certain foods, what it really means to be a picky eater, and what we can do about it.

“As a diner who will gladly eat the eyeballs off a shrimp, but who recoils in horror at the site of a raisin in an oatmeal cookie, I adored Suffering Succotash. Stephanie Lucianovic's charming and hilarious exploration of why we hate the foods we hate is packed to the gills with research on everything from sword-swallowers to supertasters and yet reads like a guilty pleasure. I couldn't put it down."—Suzanne Morrison, author of Yoga Bitch 

"Lucianovic proves that hanging out with a picky eater doesn't have to be torture--do not judge the picky eater, just laugh as she learns to enjoy cruciferous vegetables."—Beth Lisick, author of Helping Me Help Myself and co-creator of Porchlight Storytelling Series

A woman's quest for the truth...A medieval icon that holds the clues...And an ancient book with the power to shake Christianity-and humanity itself.

London tour guide Caroline Clifford has never believe in vampires- until her uncle is brutally murdered at a Bulgarian archaeological site, and a vampire hunter who corresponded with him seeks her out.

Strange anagrams on her uncle's passport lead them to a cliff-top monastery in Greece, where a shattering revelation connects a relic Caro inherited to an age-old text on immortality-and an enigmatic prophecy that pits the forces of darkness and light in a showdown that could destroy all they know...

The Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winning classic about a boy who decides to hit the road to find his father—from Christopher Paul Curtis, author of The Watsons Go To Birmingham—1963, a Newbery and Coretta Scott King Honoree.

It’s 1936, in Flint Michigan. Times may be hard, and ten-year-old Bud may be a motherless boy on the run, but Bud’s got a few things going for him:

1. He has his own suitcase full of special things.

2. He’s the author of Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself.

3. His momma never told him who his father was, but she left a clue: flyers advertising Herman E. Calloway and his famous band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression!!!!!!

Bud’s got an idea that those flyers will lead him to his father. Once he decides to hit the road to find this mystery man, nothing can stop him—not hunger, not fear, not vampires, not even Herman E. Calloway himself.

AN ALA BEST BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS

AN ALA NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOK

AN IRA CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD WINNER

NAMED TO 14 STATE AWARD LISTS

“The book is a gem, of value to all ages, not just the young people to whom it is aimed.” —The Christian Science Monitor

“Will keep readers engrossed from first page to last.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred

“Curtis writes with a razor-sharp intelligence that grabs the reader by the heart and never lets go. . . . This highly recommended title [is] at the top of the list of books to be read again and again.” —Voice of Youth Advocates, Starred

...Some of the parchment pages were the color of cream, thick and substantial, made to last many, many lifetimes. Other pages were thin and desiccated, positively yellow from age, and crackled alarmingly as Van Richten turned them over. There were no ornate illuminations, no fussy borders, only lines of plain text in hard black ink. The flowing handwriting was a bit difficult to follow at first; the writer's style of calligraphy had not been in common use for three hundred years. No table of contents, but from the dates it looked to be some kind of history.

He turned to the first page and read:

I, Strahd, Lord of Barovia, well aware certain events of my reign have been desperately misunderstood by those who are better at garbling history than recording it, hereby set down an exact record of those events, that the truth may at last be known . . . .

He caught his breath. By all the good gods, a personal journal?

Someone's finally doing something about the weather...in the first in this series by the New York Times bestselling author of Ink and Bone and the Morganville Vampires series.

It's "A FUN READ" (Jim Butcher) from "A FIRST-CLASS STORYTELLER" (Charlaine Harris)...

The Wardens Association has been around pretty much forever. Some Wardens control Fire, others control Earth or Water or Wind—and the most powerful can control more than one. Without wardens, Mother Nature would wipe humanity off the face of the earth... 

Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden. Usually, all it takes is a wave of her hand to tame the most violent weather. But now, Joanne is trying to outrun another kind of storm: accusations of corruption and murder. So, she’s resorting to the very human tactic of running for her life… 

Her only hope is Lewis, the most powerful warden known. Unfortunately, he’s also on the run from the Council. It seems he’s stolen not one but three bottles of Djinn—making him the most wanted man on earth. And without Lewis, Joanne’s chances of surviving are as good as a snowball in—well, a place she may be headed. So, she and her classic Mustang are racing hard to find him—because there’s some bad weather closing in fast...

“[Ill Wind’s] forecast calls for murder, mayhem, magic, meteorology—and a fun read. You’ll never watch the Weather Channel the same way again.”—Jim Butcher, bestselling author of The Dresden Files

Rachel Caine is the author of several bestselling series, including the Revivalist and Outcast Season novels. Among her many popular novels are Daylighters, The Dead Girls' Dance, Terminated, and Black Dawn.

FABLED LANDS is an epic series of interactive books with the scope of a massively multiplayer game world. You can choose to be an explorer, merchant, priest, scholar or soldier of fortune. You can buy a ship or a townhouse, join a temple, undertake desperate adventures in the wilderness or embroil yourself in court intrigues and the sudden violence of city backstreets. You can undertake missions that will earn you allies and enemies, or you can remain a free agent. With thousands of quests and locations to explore, the choices are all yours.

* * *

SET OUT ON A JOURNEY OF FABULOUS ADVENTURE

The Lords of the Rising Sun hold absolute power over the exotic kingdom of Akatsurai. But proud warrior clans constantly seek to overthrow them. In the turmoil of war there are countless opportunities for a quick-witted adventurer. Will you spy for the Shogun? Will you pledge your life to the Sovereign as one of his chivalrous knights? Or just play one side against the other in your pursuit of riches and power?

Track down the elusive, raven-winged Tengu to learn the secret arts of sorcery and swordplay. Defeat the vampires, skilled in martial arts, who guard the Lost Tomb of the Necromancer. Enter the dreadful cloisters of the Noboro Monastery, where you will fight the most dangerous opponent of all ? yourself ...

A thousand quests await you and every decision is in your hands. Be whoever you choose, go anywhere you please, do anything you want ? the only limit is your imagination.

The choices are unlimited, the adventures endless, in the fantastic role-playing world of the FABLED LANDS.

Come on up to the attic
Come up if you dare
Climb up the rickety ladder—
Come up and see what’s there…

Ben H. Winters brings the fear factor to this collection of thirty spooktastic rhyming stories about witches, zombies, vampires and more! Featuring eerie illustrations by Adam F. Watkins, this book is perfect for nights around the campfire and slumber party ghost stories. Be sure to keep a flashlight close!

A gruesome ritual murder has stained the Oxfordshire countryside. It's just the first incident in a chain of events awakening Detective Inspector Joel Solomon to his worst nightmare-and a dreadful omen of things to come. Because Joel has a secret: he believes in vampires. 

Alex Bishop is an agent of the Vampire Intelligence Agency. She's tasked with enforcing the laws of the global Vampire Federation, and hunting rogue members of her race. A tough job made tougher when the Federation comes under attack by traditionalist vampires. They have a stake in old-school terror-and in an uprising as violent as it is widespread. 

Now it's plunging Alex and Joel into a deadly war between the living and the unloving-and against a horrifying tradition given new life by the blood of the innocent.

These are the last days ... Travel the blood-stained trails of Kathmandu. Explore doorways to other worlds. Fight for humanity's darkening soul. ... when the powers of the Gods wane and evil walks the Earth. The Last Days of Kali Yuga is urban fantasy at its darkest. You won't find traditional vampires or werewolves in Paul Haines's stories. Instead, you will stare deep into the heart of the cruelest monster of all: man. Paul Haines is one of Australia's and New Zealand's leading dark fiction authors. He pioneered the 'backpacker horror' sub-genre with stories of Westerners confronted by dark powers and corrupted souls in the developing world. His novellas "The Last Days of Kali Yuga", "Doorways for the Dispossessed", and "Wives" - all of which appear in this book - have won Australia's and New Zealand's highest honours for speculative fiction. The Last Days of Kali Yuga is the definitive collection of Paul Haines's best work.

From the Master of Horror comes the first gripping book in the twelve book New York Times bestselling Saga of Darren Shan. Start the tale from the beginning in the book that inspired the feature film The Vampire's Assistant and petrified devoted fans worldwide.

A young boy named Darren Shan and his best friend, Steve, get tickets to the Cirque Du Freak, a wonderfully gothic freak show featuring weird, frightening half human/half animals who interact terrifyingly with the audience. In the midst of the excitement, true terror raises its head when Steve recognizes that one of the performers-- Mr. Crepsley-- is a vampire! 

Stever remains after the show finishes to confront the vampire-- but his motives are surprising! In the shadows of a crumbling theater, a horrified Darren eavesdrops on his friend and the vampire, and is witness to a monstrous, disturbing plea. As if by destiny, Darren is pulled to Mr. Crepsley and what follows is his horrifying descent into the dark and bloody world of vampires. 

This is the beginning of Darren's story. 

The trials: seventeen ways to die unless the luck of the vampire is with you. Darren Shan must pass five fearsome Trials to prove himself to the vampires clan - or face the stakes of the Hall of Death. But Vampire Mountain holds hidden threats. Sinister, potent forces are gathering in the darkness. In this nightmarish world of bloodshed and betrayal, death may be a blessing...

The allies of the night prepare for the final, deadly confrontation. Darren and Mr Crepsley will get more than they bargained for when they come face to face with the Vampaneze Lord. The allies of the night prepare for the final, deadly confrontation. Darren and Mr Crepsley will get more than they bargained for when they come face to face with the Vampaneze Lord. Outnumbered, outsmarted and desperate, the hunters are on the run. Pursued by the vampaneze, vigilante mobs and the police, Darren Shan, the Vampire Prince, is public enemy Number One! With their enemies baying for blood, the vampires prepare for deadly confrontation. Is this the end for Darren and his allies?

Beyond the Carpathian Mountains, in the land called Transylvania, there lived a monster that preyed on men and fed on their blood. It crossed the great sea, driven by a greater need than the bloodlust, to seek out a woman of great beauty and great power. From Caliber Comics comes a comic adaptation of F. W. Murnau’s 1920's classic German silent feature film that was the first incarnation in cinema of the 'Dracula' legend of life and undeath. A film many have heard of but have not seen.

About the Author

KEN HOLEWZYNSKI jumped into the black and white comic explosion in early 1990’s, first self-publishing, and then honing his skills and eventually doing work in various roles for many of the new independents at that time. Starting out lettering for First Comics, and then doing letters, colors and covers for Now Comics, Holewczynski has created original work with long-time collaborator, RAFAEL NIEVES, finding a steady home for works at Caliber Press. His expressionistic style eventually caught the eye of Vortex Comics, who brought Holewczynski on to ink the black and white relaunch of Dean Motter’s Mr. X.The same period also saw the three-issue sci-fi uptake on the German classic, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, entitled Caligari 2050, published by Monster Comics.

Emotional Vampires : Dealing with People Who Drain You Dry, Revised and Expanded Second (2nd) Edition by Albert J. Bernstein - Paperback Interpersonal Relationships

Protect yourself from people who take undue advantage and suck the energy out of your life

Emotional Vampires will help you cope effectively with the people in your life that confound you, confuse you, and seem to sap every ounce of your energy. Bestselling author Dr. Al Bernstein shows you how to recognize each vampire type--antisocial, histrionic, narcissists, obsessive-compulsives, paranoids--and deal with them effectively. He uses many examples from the latest news headlines, which will help you distinguish between the types and deepen your understanding of each one.
In response to the daily calls and emails he got about the previous edition of this book, Dr. Al Bernstein has added his advice for dealing with those emotional vampires who come in the shape of spouses and lovers, relatives, and children. Dr. Bernstein shows you how to deal with each vampire type and what you need to do to keep from getting drained.