Of Ash And Embers

All her life, Tessa has lived in the cruel shadow of the wicked fae on the hill. And when she tried to fight back, she failed. Now she is trapped in the dungeons beneath Albyria. Cursed to wed King Oberon, she'll be bound to her enemy's side for eternity if she does not escape. But someone far more dangerous haunts her dreams. The Mist King. He wants answers, but so does she. And when the deadly mists begin creeping into the Kingdom of Light, it seems the impossible has happened. Oberon's protective barrier has cracked. That can only mean one thing. The Mist King is coming. The question is, is he coming to save her or to get his revenge?

From USA Today bestselling author, Dani René, comes a brand new raw, emotional standalone romance that's like nothing she's written before. A poignant tear-jerker, with plenty of heart-wrenching moments. Life is a game, and if you don't play your cards right, you'll never win. Everything Katerina Nielsen knew burned to the ground when she was sixteen. She had nothing but memories to keep her warm at night. At eighteen, life throws her into an inferno and the only choice is to become someone else. Until she becomes the interest of two strangers. They offer her a chance at a normal life. But she's learned everything in life comes at a price and the cost of what they're giving her may just burn her alive. With the promise of a future she's always wanted, she can't refuse. But what happens when a dark secret comes to light? Will she rise from the ashes and embers, or will she burn?

The old ones will have their revenge. Two peoples have been fighting over the same land for a thousand years. Invaders crushed the original inhabitants, and ancient powers have reluctantly given way to newer magics. But Ember was to change all this with a wedding to bind these warring people together -- until her future goes up in flames. Ember's husband-to-be is murdered by a vengeful elemental god, who sees peace as a breach of faith. Set on retribution, she enlists the help of Ash, son of a seer. Together they will pit themselves against elementals of fire and ice in a last attempt to end the conflicts that have scarred their past. They must look to the present, as old furies are waking to violence and are eager to reclaim their people.

Ash & Embers embodies the inherent messiness of life's journey, sorting detritus from treasures, identifying and naming memory, finding categories that reflect life's winding pathways and its treacherous footing. Taking his various roles--son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, neighbor, teacher, citizen, believer, writer, and reader--as narrative stances, Zoller considers the details of life and its larger forces. Thematically complex, Ash & Embers accepts that the journey is translated through the often difficult tool of language; thus, it embraces the tension that language is inadequate, alien, and, paradoxically, a tool for recognition and understanding. In Zoller's poems how we speak about life--as physical passage, as spiritual pilgrimage, as imagined patterns, as emotional canvas, as interwoven narrative strands, and as social construct--all these voices meet in one conversation. Between "Photographs" that begins the book and "Hard Copy" that brings it to a close we find everything from first impressions to "Second Knowings," from notes on the poems of Mao and Seamus Heaney to prayers to the God of time, eternity, and love.

Sara Jane Rispoli is on the wrong side of the Russian mob, but closer to finding her family than ever. And she's willing to do whatever it takes to finally end this terrible journey even if the price is her own life. The very cold fury that has seen her through the worst of her troubles is now killing her; she knows the cure, but she can't sacrifice the deadly electricity until she's rescued her family. But when she finally does rescue them, it's not the happy reunion she pictured. And the torment doesn't stop there, not even when she finally discovers Ultimate Power. Only destroying the Outfit completely can end this terrible nightmare. Old enemies return to seek vengeance, double-crosses abound, and even more mysteries are uncovered as we rocket toward an end no one saw coming.

A dead witch. A bitter curse. A battle of magic. Some people knit socks by the fire at night. Gyssha Blackbone made monsters. But the old witch is dead now, and somehow it's Elodie's job to clean up the mess. When she was hired at Black Oak Cottage, Elodie had no idea she'd find herself working for a witch; and her acid-tongued new mistress, Aleida, was not expecting a housemaid to turn up on her doorstep. Gyssha's final curse left Aleida practically dead on her feet, and now, with huge monsters roaming the woods, a demonic tree lurking in the orchard and an angry warlock demanding repayment of a debt, Aleida needs Elodie's help, whether she likes it or not. And no matter what the old witch throws at her, to Elodie it's still better than going back home. Praise for Winter Be My Shield: 'Unlikely heroes, villains you will cheer for, and cold that eats your bones. "Winter Be My Shield" will take you to an unforgiving place, but you won't want to leave it.' Robin Hobb

Two years have passed since a series of tragedies upended the Grant family, prominent players in the tempest that is the music industry. Estranged brothers Ben and Chris still struggle to accept the loss of the youngest, and dearest, member of their family. The official report is as convenient as it is contrived. Questions linger that police cannot—or will not—answer. Who murdered Jordan? And why? Miami news reporter Miles Macy’s determination to unearth the truth has landed him a forced transfer to Chicago, but his personal investigation continues. His gut tells him there’s more to the story, and it points him in a singular direction: Jameson Lockhardt. Meanwhile, famed record label Lockhardt Sound has seen better days. With little more than creative accounting and a grassroots strategy, Jameson Lockhardt fights to maintain his legacy, his secrets, and his freedom. When a request from a former LSI colleague leads to a true confession, a life-or-death race ensues. Only one man can expose Lockhardt’s deadly past. And time is running out.

Presented with impossible odds, the riders struggle to overcome the grief left behind by the last battle knowing they will soon have more to face. While enemies from within are discovered and unexpected alliances are formed, a journey into Maiadar reveals a desperate choice to be made. As the war escalates, one dragon rider may have to make the ultimate sacrifice to save all.