"Light and dark-this is the destiny placed upon Natasha and Clara, the birthright bestowed by their godfather, the mysterious sorcerer Drosselmeyer. Clara, the favorite, grows into beauty and ease, while Natasha is cursed to live in her sister's shadow. But one fateful Christmas Eve, Natasha gets her chance at revenge. For Drosselmeyer has brought the Nutcracker, an enchanted present that offers entry into a deceptively beautiful world: the Kingdom...

"The oldest of seven sisters, Ursula Simmons has followed in her mother's footsteps as a novelist. With a bad case of writer's block, she brings her notebooks and computer home to the old brothel called Paradise where they all grew up, in the hope that being home for the holidays will inspire her--and since it's Christmas, all her sisters will be there too. The sisters take the holidays very seriously, and as soon as they've celebrated Thanksgiving,...

Lonely-hearted waitress Katie Smith has nowhere to go for Christmas, and a huge crush on her gorgeous diner patron Juan Martinez. So when Juan asks Katie to pose as his girlfriend for holiday festivities at his family's winery, Katie leaps at the chance... that is, until an accident lands Juan in a coma right after giving his folks the "news." Katie knows she should tell the Martinezes the truth, but when they immediately embrace her, Katie is reluctant...

Hugo Award winning editor, and horror legend, Ellen Datlow presents this chilling horror anthology of original short stories exploring the endless terrors of winter solstice traditions across the globe, featuring chillers by Tananarive Due, Stephen Graham Jones, Alma Katsu and many more. The winter solstice is celebrated as a time of joy around the world--yet the long nights also conjure a darker tradition of ghouls, hauntings, and visitations. This...

"When Santa arrives at a child's house on Christmas Eve, does he go down the chimney feetfirst or headfirst? What if he gets stuck? What if there's no chimney? Maybe he slides under the door, as thin as a piece of paper? Or is it possible he pours himself through the faucet? What happens once he's inside? Whether it's shape-shifting or impromptu laundry use, Mac Barnett's iconic talent for earnest deadpan humor and Jon Klassen's irresistibly funny...

"It's hard to escape your ex when you're working together over Christmas in the Scottish Highlands, but being stuck together might be the best possible present in this sparkling new contemporary romance. Maya Bashir is dreading her drive home for Christmas and having to explain that she's just left her high-paying job and a long-term relationship-so a brief detour to her friend's festive party doesn't seem like such a bad idea. Until Maya walks in...

A pitch-perfect holiday rom com about two oil-and-water reality-star country singers who must fake a relationship in order to win the opportunity of a lifetime

Pierce Waverly, the Earl of Devonmont, has been estranged from his mother for most of his life. When his mother's new companion, Mrs. Camilla Stuart, writes to tell him that his mother is seriously ill, he goes home. But when he learns that the lovely widow tricked him in order to effect a holiday reconciliation, he refuses to stay unless she meets his "terms."

As Bernadine Brown and Malachi July prepare for their upcoming wedding, Amari's birth mother comes to Henry Adams, Kansas, with the hope of spending Christmas with her son.

Edeen Campbell has heard many wild stories about the MacQuarrie clan living in the castle next door to her new home. She is determined that not even Lachlan MacQuarrie, the pack leader's brother, can ruin her holidays, no matter how hard he may try or how intrigued she is by him. But as Lachlan proves to her over and over that he is a wolf to be trusted, Edeen begins to change her mind about the pack and the very handsome wolf dedicated to making...