UNDER A WINTER SKY IBD

Sinopsi

Five powerhouse authors of fantasy and urban fantasy bring you a feast of romantic midwinter holiday adventures. These heartwarming and pulse-pounding tales celebrate Hanukah, Christmas, the solstice, Yule - and holidays from worlds beyond our own. With fancy-dress balls, faery bargains, time travel, blood sacrifice, and festive cocktails, these stories will delight lovers of fantasy and romance, with a dash of seasonal joy.Ballgowns & Butterflies by Kelley ArmstrongThe North Yorkshire moors are always a magical place, but theyâÇÖre particularly enchanting at the holidays...especially if one gets to travel back in time to a Victorian Christmas. For Bronwyn Dale, it is the stuff of dreams. Fancy-dress balls, quirky small-town traditions, even that classic one-horse open sleigh, complete with jingle bells. ThereâÇÖs just the tiny problem of the Butterfly Effect. How does a time-traveler make a difference without disrupting the future forever?The Long Night of the Crystalline Moon, a prequel novella to Heirs of Magic, by Jeffe KennedyShapeshifter Prince Rhyian doesnâÇÖt especially want to spend the Feast of Moranu at Castle Ordnung. First of all, itâÇÖs literally freezing there, an uncomfortable change from the tropical paradise of his home. Secondly, itâÇÖs a mossback castle which means thick walls and too many rules. Thirdly, his childhood playmate and current nemesis, Lena, will be there. Not exactly a cause for celebration.Princess Salena Nakoa KauPo nearly wriggled out of traveling to Ordnung with her parents, but her mother put her foot down declaring that, since everyone who ever mattered to her was going to be there to celebrate the 25th year of High Queen UrsulaâÇÖs reign, Lena can suffer through a feast and a ball for one night. Of course, 'everyone' includes the sons and daughters of her parentsâÇÖ friends, and it also means that Rhyian, insufferable Prince of the Tala, will attend. But on this special anniversary year, MoranuâÇÖs sacred feast falls on the long night of the crystalline moon-and Rhy and Lena discover thereâÇÖs more than a bit of magic in the air.Blood Martinis & Mistletoe by Melissa MarrHalf-dead witch Geneviÿve Crowe makes her living beheading the dead--and spends her free time trying not to get too attached to her business partner,áEli Stonecroft, a faery in self-imposed exile in New Orleans. With a killer at her throat and a blood martini in her hand, Gen accepts what seems like a straight-forward faery bargain, but soon realizes that if she canâÇÖt figure out a way out of this faery bargain, sheâÇÖll be planning a wedding after the holidays.Echoes of Ash & Tears, an Earthsinger Chronicles Novella, by L. PenelopeBrought to live among the Cavefolk as an infant, Mooriah has long sought to secure her place in the clan and lose her outsider status. SheâÇÖs a powerful blood mage, and when the chieftainâÇÖs son asks for help securing the safety of the clan, she agrees. But though sheâÇÖs long been drawn to the warrior, any