Carla Harryman is a poet, playwright, and fiction writer. Her works include Memory Play, Animal Instincts, In the Mode of, Vice, The Middle, Property, Under the Bridge, and...

A Rose Without a Thorn, by Marilyn Kohinke Washburn, offers a powerful and intriguing look inside the tumultuous; and too often, bloody Royal Court of King Henry VIII. Set in 16th century England, King Henry's kingdom is in the throes of the Protestant Reformation, while his Royal Court is in desperate search of a new Queen and male heir to secure the Tudor line. King Henry has already divorced his first wife and beheaded his second, causing many ladies of his court to pray he does not set his cap for them. Nevertheless powerful patriarchs of both Protestant and Catholic factions at court are in strong pursuit of King Henry to marry a woman of their own choosing and beget a male heir by her, whether or not the woman they choose wishes to wed King Henry VIII. In a time when religious freedom was nonexistent, and when women were still considered their husband's property, timeless motivators such as love, hate, greed, jealousy, betrayal, and hubris were very much in existence. The stage is thus set for the rise and fall of many powerful courtiers close to King Henry VIII, including those he once passionately vowed his enduring love for. King Henry VIII had a tumultuous reign, where many heads rolled, culminating in a bloody finale for all those who crossed his unforgiving path. In this fascinating offering of historical fiction, get a closer look at a vengeful Henry VIII and the men and women behind his powerful throne as they rose and fell at the vain and whimsical mercy of tyrant, who ruled absolutely.

Two thieves want answers. Riyria is born. . . For more than a year Royce Melborn has tried to forget Gwen DeLancy, the woman who saved him and his partner Hadrian Blackwater from certain death. Unable to get her out of his mind, Royce returns to Medford with Hadrian but the two receive a very different reception -- Gwen refuses to see them. The victim of abuse by a powerful noble, she suspects that Royce will ignore any danger in his desire for revenge. By turning the thieves away, Gwen hopes to once more protect them. What she doesn't realize is what the two are capable of -- but she's about to find out.

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

When her aristocratic aunt snubs her, Susannah escapes a life of humiliation and servitude by marrying her shy cousin Harry. The loveless marriage doesn't last long, and Susannah is drawn into fashionable London's underworlds where she loses her heart to the most fascinating man in town, magnetic actor Nicholas Carrick.

THE FIRST BOOK IN THE BESTSELLING SERIES AND A TIKTOK SENSATION 'With bits of Buffy, Game Of Thrones and Outlander, this is a glorious series of total joy' STYLIST Feyre is a huntress. And when she sees a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she kills the predator and takes its prey to feed herself and her family. But the wolf was not what it seemed, and Feyre cannot predict the high price she will have to pay for its death... Dragged away from her family for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding even more than his piercing green eyes suggest. As Feyre's feelings for Tamlin turn from hostility to passion, she learns that the faerie lands are a far more dangerous place than she realized. And Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever. _________________________ Sarah J. Maas's books have sold millions of copies worldwide and have been translated into 37 languages. Discover the tantalising, sweeping romantic fantasy, soon to be a major TV series, for yourself.

This beauty isn’t sleeping! Discover the true story of Sleeping Beauty in Sarah Prineas’s bold YA fairy-tale retelling filled with thrilling adventure and romance, perfect for fans of the Lunar Chronicles and the Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy. After the spell protecting her is destroyed, Rose seeks safety in the world outside the valley she had called home. She’s been kept hidden all her life to delay the three curses she was born with—curses that will put her into her own fairy tale and a century-long slumber. Accompanied by Griff, the handsome and mysterious Watcher, and Quirk, his witty and warmhearted partner, Rose tries to escape from the ties that bind her to her story. But will the path they take lead them to freedom, or will it bring them straight into the fairy tale they are trying to avoid? Set in the world of Sarah Prineas’s Ash & Bramble fifty years later, Rose & Thorn is a powerful retelling of the classic “Sleeping Beauty” tale where the characters fight to find their own happy ever after.

Beauty is a curse. It attracts the basest sort of men, even a beast. With her father deathly ill, Isabel Bielsa throws herself into their mutual passion: bookbinding. Hiding in the library also allows her to avoid the unwanted attentions of the local self-absorbed noblemen. But, there is only so many times one can read the same book. When the governing council demands her father's skills she happily goes in his stead. However, her new library assignment is far from private. Prince Aden of Iseldis, cursed into the form of a beast, keeps interrupting her work. With his idealistic standards and comfortable self-righteousness, she sees him as just another man besotted by her beauty. That is, until Isabel discovers that his curse has also affected his eyesight. As her feelings for him grow, Isabel nears the end of her assignment. Can she break Aden's curse before the magical attacker comes back to finish him off for good? Thorn of Rose is a fantasy retelling of Beauty and the beast. If you love sweet romance, a little bit of magic, and a headstrong heroine, then this story was written for you.

Restoration from self-sabotage is trying, especially when you are addicted to the destruction of your heart. Is that your sinful thorn? Ambivalence about your worth versus the worth of your beloved, holds you hostage to a debate that only you can be accountable for. Knowing that you what you deserve is unsurpassed, you may be the only one that recognizes that. How much of a broken heart can one endure? You just wanted to smell the flowers and neglected how the pain feels. Joy comes in the morning... and punctures left by thorns from holding onto the rose too tight will heal. As your garden blooms, others are attracted to your aroma. Do they get close enough to see your blemished palms? Callused over, you learn to be calm and patient for the rose to bud, hoping to experience the beauty of love.

Presents eighteen retellings of classic fairy tales in contemporary and adult formats, including the writings of such authors as Peter Straub and Roger Zelazny