LOVE HISTORICAL ROMANCE? ENJOY STORIES WITH SECRETS? Nineteen New York Times, USA Today, internationally bestselling, and award-winning historical romance authors bring you scenes from their books, all of which feature a much-loved theme: characters with hidden identities. Discover a new beloved author! Each excerpt is the perfect length to read over a cup of coffee or before falling asleep at night. Escape to Regency London, Renaissance Paris, the Highlands of Scotland, Stuart and Victorian England, turn-of-the-century New York, the Old West, and more! Among these samples from nineteen historical romance novels, you’re bound to find a new favorite! This ebook contains scenes from… Too Dangerous for a Lady by Jo Beverley Colorado Silver, Colorado Gold by Terry Irene Blain Great & Unfortunate Desires by Gina Danna A Midnight Dance by Lila DiPasqua A Kiss of Lies by Bronwen Evans Miss Farrow’s Feathers by Susan Gee Heino The Seducer by Madeline Hunter Marrying Miss Shylo by Sharon Ihle Sonata for a Scoundrel by Anthea Lawson The Scarred Heir by Denise Patrick Dark Surrender by Erica Ridley My Highland Spy by Victoria Roberts Much Ado about Marshals by Jacquie Rogers Amber by Lauren Royal The Harlot Countess by Joanna Shupe Fortune’s Pride by Michele Stegman Lachlan’s Revenge by R.L. Syme Against the Wind by Regan Walker A Marquess for Christmas by Vivienne Westlake

First Stories: 'Twas The Night Before Christmas is the perfect introduction for young children to Clement Clarke Moore's popular poem. Push, pull and slide the pages to see reindeer magically flying through the sky, sugarplum fairies dancing and stockings filling up with presents. This well-loved poem is beautifully imagined for a new generation by illustrator Miriam Bos. Collect more books in the First Stories series: Aladdin, Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, A Christmas Carol, Cinderella, Doctor Dolittle, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Hansel and Gretel, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, Little Red Riding Hood, The Nutcracker, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Puss in Boots, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, The Three Little Pigs, The Snow Queen, Mulan and The Ugly Duckling.

Jimmy McSwain is a New York City private detective, operating out of Hell’s Kitchen, the rough and tumble Manhattan neighborhood he grew up in. At fourteen, he watched as his NYPD father was gunned down. Now twenty-eight, Jimmy has never given up his pursuit of whoever killed Joseph McSwain. But a PI must make a living, too, so he’s taken on the case of missing heir Harris Rothschild, whose overbearing father doesn’t approve of his “alternate” lifestyle. Tracking down Harris is easier than expected, finding him at a club called the Dress-Up. But the carnage that follows after he’s found creates new problems. With a shocking fresh murder on his hands, and a threat coming from some unforeseen person, Jimmy’s caseload is suddenly full, and as dangerous as the streets he knows all too well. Good thing he has his family to fall back on, and a potential new love interest.

'Hale's writing is beautiful, with a vivid eye for detail' Daily Telegraph Anidora-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kilindree, spent the first years of her life listening to her aunt's incredible stories, and learning the language of the birds. Little knowing how valuable her aunt's strange knowledge would prove to be when she grew older. From the Grimm's fairy tale of the princess who became a goose girl before she could become a queen, Shannon Hale has woven an incredible, original and magical tale of a girl who must understand her own incredible talents before she can overcome those who wish her harm. Shannon Hale has drawn on her incredible gift for storytelling to create a powerful and magical grown-up fairytale.

Appealing to both comics fans and Asian Americans seeking to claim their place in American culture, Secret Identities makes brilliant use of the conventions of the superhero comic book to expose the real face of the Asian American experience. This groundbreaking graphic anthology brings together leading Asian American creators in the comics industry including Gene Yang (National Book Award finalist for American Born Chinese), Bernard Chang (Wonder Woman), Greg Pak (The Hulk), and Christine Norrie (Black Canary Wedding Special) to craft original graphical short stories set in a compelling shadow history of our country: from the building of the railroads to the Japanese American internment, the Vietnam airlift, the murder of Vincent Chin, and the incarceration of Dr. Wen Ho Lee. Entertaining and enlightening, Secret Identities offers whiz-bang action, searing satire, and thoughtful commentary from a community too often overlooked by the cultural mainstream, while showcasing a vivid cross-section of the talents whose imagination and creativity is driving the contemporary comics renaissance.

So my only protection is a kindergarten teacher and a ninety-eight-pound female minister....And they don't even believe I'm in danger. As Bethany approaches her thirteenth birthday, her parents begin acting more oddly than usual: Her mother cries constantly, and her father barely lets Bethany out of his sight. Then one morning he hustles the entire family into the car, drives across several state lines -- and leaves Bethany with an aunt she never knew existed. Bethany has no idea what's going on. She's worried that her mom and dad are running from some kind of trouble, but she can't find out because they won't tell her where they are going. Bethany's only clue is a few words she overheard her father tell her aunt Myrlie: "She doesn't know anything about Elizabeth." But Aunt Myrlie won't tell Bethany who Elizabeth is, and she won't explain why people in her small town react to Bethany as if they've seen a ghost. The mystery intensifies when Bethany gets a package from her father containing four different birth certificates from four states, with four different last names -- and thousands of dollars in cash. And when a strange man shows up asking questions, Bethany realizes she's not the only one who's desperate to unravel the secrets of her past. In this exhilarating thriller, Margaret Peterson Haddix crafts a taut story so full of twists and turns, readers will be gripped until the startling conclusion.