The supernatural - it has always evoked excited shivers, both fearful and sexual, whilst Gothic literature is ever popular. Red Velvet and Absinthe offers readers a collection of unique and original stories that conjure up the atmospheric and romantic spirit of the Gothic masters and mistresses, but take things further by adding a generous dosage of eroticism to the brew. Full of paranormal thrills and chills, this is the ultimate erotic romance!

In rural Italy, a priest keeps a dark secret beneath his chapel — a prisoner. Only the elder holy man knows who this prisoner is and even the priest does not know how long he has been there — hundreds of years, perhaps, or even longer. His fear is that anyone in his parish would ever come in contact with his mysterious and unholy charge. But what happens is even worse than he could have imagined. His lovely young daughter, whose innocence and devotion to god he prizes over all else, trails her father into the cavern and catches a glimpse of the prisoner, a beautiful being like the most handsome of men and yet not. She looks in his eyes and sees pain and wisdom and eternity. Unable to keep away from this silent creature chained to an altar stone, she lives in fear that her father will catch her. One day he does and sends her off to America to be raised by her aunt in Boston. But she never forgets her silent love. Cover Him with Darkness is a thrilling story of an archangel banished from heaven and the human woman with whom he falls in love.

Whoever said space was cold, never found love from the stars ... Some people never learn. This is the tune playing once again in Alex Beaumont’s head when he sees a vision in white attracting odd glances in the quiet little seaside resort of Padstow. He came to get away from it all, to bury himself in work, to forget every man he ever falls for eventually needs to get away ... from him. Adrift in the universe, Mani searches for a place to call home. The planet he finds is cold and inhospitable, not at all what he was expecting. He feels lost and alone, until a stranger’s smile warms him. And with that smile comes another kind of heat, one he’s never before experienced. Love is not what Alex ever imagined it to be. They say space is infinite, but the distance between what Alex wants and what he has experienced romantically seems to be growing ... until now. Like a shooting star, he’s about to fall long and hard. Will he crash and burn, or find the love he’s always dreamed of when looking at the night sky?

Brinley Delvaux loves to bake tempting treats that can change people’s lives. But when he moves to a quaint seaside town in order to alter his own, the last complication he needs is falling for Jack Brewer, a man whose sudden appearance messes up Brinley’s timetable to renovate the old Holberton place, as well as his plans for a quiet future. Worse, Jack is a normal human, whereas Brinley is one of the Gifted, with powers most people cannot comprehend and which Brinley isn’t at liberty to share. Spending time with Jack is potentially dangerous for at least one of them, and Brinley’s seeking a quiet future separate from his past with the Gifted community. There’s only one answer ... to use his powers to solve the problem of Jack. Aside from some personal trauma, what could possibly go wrong?

Come out of the cold, into the warm ... Dean Chapman has always had a thing for April Reid, ‘the girl next door’, the woman he’s never had. What he doesn’t know is that while he made puppy dog eyes at her, her younger brother Jay spent time looking at him the same way. Now, years later, he considers the two Reid siblings as close friends, nothing more. Little does he know Jay is still in love with him, always has been, always will be, but he’s about to find out. When he does, it not only throws his sexuality into question, it shines an ugly light in his direction. Reacting as he often does, on impulse, he’s about to make an understandable but life-altering mistake ... and then he makes another one. Dean has to take a long look at himself and he isn’t sure he likes what he sees. He can’t remember being this arrogant, not to mention a control freak, and that’s only a few of the nicer things April Reid has taken to calling him in defence of her brother. Can he change? Does he want to? Does he even need to, or is it really just a question of making the right choice? It’s winter and snow is falling, but he doesn’t yet know which of them might yet be left out in the cold. If Dean isn’t careful, he might lose the one person who can take him just as he is, ego included.

Romance novels have attracted considerable attention since their mass market debut in 1939, yet seldom has the industry itself been analyzed. Founded in 1949, Harlequin quickly gained market domination with their contemporary romances. Other publishers countered with historical romances, leading to the rise of "bodice-ripper" romances in the 1970s. The liberation of the romance novel's content during the 1980s brought a vitality to the market that was dubbed a revolution, but the real romance revolution began in the 1990s with developments in the mainstream publishing industry and continues today. This book traces the history and evolution of the romance industry, covering successful (and not so successful) trends and describing changes in romance publishing that paved the way for the many popular subgenres flooding the market in the 21st century.

A warm-hearted rich man's son, Richard Gardener needs to overcome three obstacles: find a way the family business can run without him, help his mother cope with grief, and stop butting heads -- and other parts of his anatomy -- with the gardener. Ethan Fields has worked for the Gardener family for many years. He’s struggling with debt and the desire to leave, and has loved Richard far longer than the man would believe. Ethan can cope with most things, but his anger with Richard’s mother won’t fade. Until that and his feelings for Richard are resolved, he feels trapped and, alas, the idea that sex will get Richard out of his system isn’t working. To make the situation worse, both men assume too much and don’t say the right words, and Ethan’s offer of ‘just sex’ grows more complicated by the day. Can Richard and Ethan stop getting their wires crossed before their paths diverge?

"One last look at Europe" - that was the idea behind a 3-month trip in 2006. The weather was always good and that 3 months led to a life of unanchored travels, for years moving among countries and continents. In Local Time: a memoir of cities, friendships and the writing life New York, London, Bristol, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Barcelona all have a chapter devoted to them, and Rome has more. Other chapters explore themes like sexuality, Europe, identity among hybrids and hyphens, family secrets, the self fiction creates, ageing, beginnings, the history of friendships, and a life in which writing has been the centre. Known for her stylish provocative work the author has once more gone in new directions in this memoir.

Experience the rebirth of cocktails and enjoy your favorite classics as you’ve never tasted them before! History tells us that once a cocktail achieved prominence at the bar, the impulse to invent variations has been irresistible. ReMixology is a celebration of time-honored cocktails, the fascinating evolution of their formulas, and the inspiration they provide today's craft bartenders. This book serves as a re-introduction to ten iconic potions, from the Manhattan to the Whiskey Sour, to the Old Fashioned to the Bloody Mary and more, and explores their progression and development in cocktail culture, and showcases a range of innovative and original, yet accessible interpretations that open the door to new possibilities in drinking and entertaining. Recipes will include: Manhattan Nouveau Bellini Savoy Champagne Cocktail Jamaican Coffee The Green Mary And More Each section will introduce a standard cocktail, offer details and insights about its genealogy, then follow with more than a dozen adaptations and variations gathered from the vintage cocktail era and from the expertise of working bartenders in progressive cocktail programs. Palate perspectives will be explored in lively headnotes, guiding the reader along the sensorial journey of 250 distinctive drinks, adapted to the home bar. Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Good Books and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of cookbooks, including books on juicing, grilling, baking, frying, home brewing and winemaking, slow cookers, and cast iron cooking. We've been successful with books on gluten-free cooking, vegetarian and vegan cooking, paleo, raw foods, and more. Our list includes French cooking, Swedish cooking, Austrian and German cooking, Cajun cooking, as well as books on jerky, canning and preserving, peanut butter, meatballs, oil and vinegar, bone broth, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.