The Norns have prophesied that Altair and his huldufólk guardian Magnús face a glorious destiny or a hideous death.Together, Magnús and Altair have already survived near-lethal attacks, but the dangers ahead of them grow ever darker. The Yule Cat, a man-eating trollwife and her brood of dangerous children, ghosts, and other horrors out of legend chase the elf, the human, and their cohorts across the north of Iceland. Time is running out to break the sorcer...

Over the river and through the woods, to a vampire's lair we go.…Paul and Taviano approach their first Thanksgiving, happy together but wary. The demon that shares Taviano's body won't even consider turning Paul. Rude! They're planning a Friendsgiving but, wouldn't you know it, Paul gets kidnapped first by an unknown vampire.As Taviano frantically searches for his beloved human with the help of some unexpected allies, Paul is taunted by a creepy-ass vampire in a te...

Jesse Logan, having been raised in early Nevada as a cowboy and deer hunter, finds himself a private and sharpshooter on the fields of battle in the Civil War. His inclination to act impulsively often gets him in trouble with one of his superiors but also results in some rewards and promotions. He becomes romantically involved with a woman who turns out to be a secret agent for the Union army but also is married to a Rebel officer. The entanglement places him in mortal jeopardy from which ...

Digital transformation is one of the most discussed topics today because of its impact on society and the economy. This book explores how digital transformation can be made sustainable and how sustainability strategies can be integrated into the different phases of digital transformation development. It shows how ICT experts, managers, and policy makers can contribute to a sustainable digital transformation by examining the technological, organizational, and societal implications. The book...

The two-volume proceedings set LNCS 16605 and 16606 constitutes the refereed main proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Design Science Research in Information Systems and Technology, DESRIST 2026, which was held in Münster, Germany, during June 8–10, 2026.Given the large number of high-quality contributions, the 2026 proceedings are published in three volumes: LNCS 16605 and 16606 as main proceedings include all accepted full papers, while LNCS 16607 contains all acce...

A pirate with a parrot on his shoulder; "X marks the spot"; buried treasure and of course.... Long John Silver.These familiar associations with pirates can all be traced back to this adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson,originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881–82 under the title Treasure Island or, the mutiny of the Hispaniola with Stevenson adopting the pseudonym Captain George North.Traditionally considered a c...

Deserts of sand and deserts of the heart, Middle Eastern deserts and American deserts, the story collection Two Deserts follows the circles of two unforgettable women across cultures and deserts. The Arabian circle includes a seventeen-year-old girl yearning for freedom and a Muslim mother plotting to rescue her son from a jihadist movement. The American circle includes a hooker who is training her daughter for the life, a priest in love, and a club of women whose husbands are dyi...

Someone is murdering young gay men in Washington, DC.Does it have anything to do with handsome, wealthy and successful Thomas? Sure, he slept with the young man whose body is found near the bar where Thomas picked him up. But that’s just a sad coincidence, right? Thomas sleeps with a lot of men, because he learned his lesson years ago – no one can stay the night, or get too close.Then Thomas meets Zachary, a vibrant transplant from Utah. Zachary ca...

’Twas the night before Christmas, but what’s stirring is a little more dangerous than a mouse.Taviano is nearly two hundred years old and never wakes in the same place twice. Weary and jaded, the vampire still indulges in memories of childhood Christmases in Naples. He lingers in shadow, spying on mortals as they enjoy the holiday.When Taviano spots a handsome young man in Boston loaded down with presents and about to be mugged, he can’t help but intervene. Soon he’s talking ...

This bartender’s art lies in more than mixing drinks …Randy Vaughan is a six-foot-three mass of mysteries to his customers and his friends. Why does a former Secret Service agent now own Mata Hari, a successful piano bar? Where did a muscle daddy get his passion for collecting fine art? If he’s as much a loner as his friends believe, why does he crave weekly sessions at an exclusive leather club?Randy’s carefully private life unravels when Jack Fra...

'Twas the night before Christmas, but what's stirring is a little more dangerous than a mouse.Taviano is nearly two hundred years old and never wakes in the same place twice. Weary and jaded, the vampire still indulges in memories of childhood Christmases in Naples. He lingers in shadow, spying on mortals as they enjoy the holiday.When Taviano spots a handsome young man in Boston loaded down with presents and about to be mugged, he can't help but intervene. Soon he...

Death threats drove him from his country. Can he ever find asylum from his past?Hernán had family, college, and a future in El Salvador. Until a vicious gang targeted him as gay. Threatened with murder, he braved a nightmare journey toward a new life. Now, haunted by his trek, he hides from immigration trouble as well as his enemies. He prays to pass in Provincetown unnoticed.But a handsome man with a secret like Hernán’s is vulnerable to predators...