Unexpected Comfort A Collection Of Short Stories By Jacklynn Lord

Audrey is on the cusp of young adulthood when Cora Mae—grown up, self-assured—comes to town for a week. While Cora Mae charms the people she meets, it is her unusual brother, Boyd, who captures Audrey’s attention. Jacqueline Baker writes with confidence and unvarnished honesty, and she has the rare ability to make the familiar brilliant and finely understood. Hers are universal themes: the tensions of family life; relationships defined by what isn’t said, rather than what is; and our connection to a past that may be real or imagined. HarperCollins brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperCollins short-stories collection to build your digital library. Praise for A Hard Witching “What Alistair MacLeod has done for the Maritimes, Jacqueline Baker has done for the Sand Hills region of southwestern Saskatchewan. It is insightful and accurate in its depiction of the beauty and menace of the landscape and of the brutality and tenderness of its inhabitants.” —Diane Schoemperlen

Fifteen-year-old Najwa Bakri is forced to investigate the mysterious death of her best friend and Scrabble Queen, Trina, a year after the fact when her Instagram comes back to life with cryptic posts and messages.

The Creature X team travels to Papua New Guinea to investigate sightings of a surviving pterosaur. Laura Reagan, host of Creature X, wants to leave North America behind and step out from the shadow of her father’s cryptozoological research. She leads her team to Umboi Island, off the coast of Papua New Guinea, to shoot a cryptozoological documentary about the mysterious Ropen, a bioluminescent pterosaur-like creature that has somehow survived extinction. In a stroke of luck, Laura and her team see a mysterious purple light above the trees. Could it actually be what they’re searching for? But the hunt for the Ropen takes a drastic turn when a body turns up in the Creature X camp. With satellite phones down, Laura and her team are stuck on the island with a murderer — and no chance of help.

A lyrical story of star-crossed love perfect for readers of The Hate U Give, by National Ambassador for Children’s Literature Jacqueline Woodson--now celebrating its twentieth anniversary, and including a new preface by the author Jeremiah feels good inside his own skin. That is, when he's in his own Brooklyn neighborhood. But now he's going to be attending a fancy prep school in Manhattan, and black teenage boys don't exactly fit in there. So it's a surprise when he meets Ellie the first week of school. In one frozen moment their eyes lock, and after that they know they fit together--even though she's Jewish and he's black. Their worlds are so different, but to them that's not what matters. Too bad the rest of the world has to get in their way. Jacqueline Woodson's work has been called “moving and resonant” (Wall Street Journal) and “gorgeous” (Vanity Fair). If You Come Softly is a powerful story of interracial love that leaves readers wondering "why" and "if only . . ."

In a near future ravaged by illness, one woman and her AI companion enter a dangerous bubble of the superrich. It's 2035: a fledging synthetic consciousness “wakes up” in a lab. Jenny, the lead developer, determined to nurture this synthetic being like a child, trains it to work with people at the border of the American Protectorate of Canada. She names it Julian. Two years later, Slaton, a therapist at a university, is framed by a student for arranging an illegal abortion. She follows the student to America and is detained at the border, where she meets Julian in virtual space. After a week of interviewing, he decides to stay with her, learning about the world, the human condition, and what it means to fall in love. Meanwhile, a mysterious plague is spreading across the world. Only the far-seeing and well-connected Julian can protect Slaton from the impending societal collapse. Autonomy is an ambitious philosophical novel about the possibilities for love in a world in which human bodies are either threatened or irrelevant. A RARE MACHINES BOOK

A high-priced thief who can’t turn down a challenge. A cocky, young mage whose power has caught the attention of the local Mage-Lord. A royal scribe who stands on the brink of an imperial invasion. Three people whose fates hang in the balance at a point of no return... This dark fantasy short story collection includes three twisting, stand-alone adventures by the author of the World of Lasniniar series, Jacquelyn Smith: The Unclean (Winning entry of the Writers’ Journal Fiction Contest, 2010) Wayward Scribe The God’s Eye (Overall winner of the Writers’ Journal Fiction Contest, 2011) The Unclean: An appointment with the Mage-Lord. Jared can sense the fulfillment of his destiny approaching as he rushes through the cobbled streets with his blue mage robes flapping behind him. The kingdom of Galdavia prizes the mage gift above all others. And Jared takes pride in his abilities. He knows he belongs at the Mage-Lord’s side. Nothing can come between him and his rightful place... Wayward Scribe: An invading empire. A fallen kingdom. I watch from the shadows at our usurper’s side as history repeats itself... In a game of power and thrones, only a nameless, royal scribe stands to make the difference between the kingdom’s uprising or complete submission. Death lies on both sides of the knife’s edge. And in this game, only the victor can claim to know hero from traitor. The God’s Eye: Raena never could turn down a challenge. Tales of her exploits travel across the land in soft whispers. The finest thief in Midnight Reach. Only the most intriguing (and high-paying) jobs appeal to her. The more challenging, the better. She holds herself above those of her kind who might do any dirty job for a bit of coin. No risk, no reward, after all…

A "heartbreaking, heartwarming" (Heidi McLaughlin, New York Times bestselling author) love story that asks the question: what do you do when your soul mate marries your best friend? If you're Kate Evans, you keep your friend Rachel, bond with her kids, and bury your feelings for her husband. The fact that Shane's in the military and away for long periods helps-but when tragedy strikes, everything changes. After Rachel, pregnant with her fourth child, dies in a car accident and the baby miraculously survives, Kate upends her entire life to share parenting duties. Then on the first anniversary of Rachel's death, Kate and Shane take comfort in each other in a night that they both soon regret. Shane's been angry for a year, and now he feels guilty too - for sleeping with his wife's best friend and liking it . . . liking her. Kate's ability to read him like a book may have once sent Shane running, but their lives are forever entwined and they are growing closer. Now with Shane deployed for seven months, Kate is on her own and struggling with being a single parent. Shane is loving and supportive from thousands of miles away, but his homecoming brings a betrayal Kate never saw coming. So Kate's only choice is to fight for the future she deserves - with or without Shane. . .