The real test of any writers' skill is the short story. To come in hard, fast, and hold them to the end. Or, to tease them and give a twist they never saw coming. The variations on a theme are many, but the road to success with this particular genre, alas is filled with more road kills than victors.

I am happy to present to you two treats: Frozen Stiff and The Last Laugh. To say too much is well, too much.

What do most women want, although in public, they often deny it? They want real men. You guessed it, the alpha male, men who epitomize the red-blooded male with all his cocky arrogance, ripped muscles and sexual expertise. Women want to be pursued, seduced and satisfied. Seasons of Seduction II with six sexy tales involving he-men fits the bill perfectly.

In Gillian’s Island, Gillian Alford finds herself ship wrecked with the hunky Brandt Powers. Even though she and Brandt dated for over a year, they both failed to make the commitment and connection that would take their relationship up to the next level. She knew why she held back making a definite commitment. She’s afraid of rocking the boat or even wrecking their friendship, but what about Brandt? Maybe this unexpected island sojourn will make the difference in their relationship, especially when Brandt reveals an adventurous side.

The astrological sign of Scorpio has long been associated with intrigue, strong emotions and renewal. It is also considered by many to be the sexiest icon in the zodiac. Authors Jenna Howard and Deanna Lee have drawn upon these qualities for Scorpio, their contribution to the Zodiac Series from Liquid Silver Books.

She Was A Showgirl by Deanna Lee
Lola Bridges used to work as a showgirl at the Zodiac Hotel & Casino where her life was fun and carefree. This was before witnessing her former boss, mobster Phil Moretti, carry out two brutal murders. For the past year Lola has been on the run as she knows Moretti has her on a hit list. During this time Lola has relied on her own cunning and the skills learned from her policeman father to evade Moretti. She has also stayed under the sights of the police because she feels they cannot protect her.

I kicked back with a cup of coffee and this book open on my computer screen. All I wanted to do was kill a few minutes while waiting for the kitchen timer to go off. I thought, just because Hidden Lies and Other Stories by Vivian Gilbert Zabel and Holly Jahangiri is a collection of short stories, that I could read one or two and keep going with my day. Well, you might be able to. I couldn't. I didn't totally ignore the timer so the muffins didn't burn, but I kept coming back to my computer throughout the day to read "just one more story." With twenty-one stories, it took more than a day to read the whole book. Fun for me, bad for the other projects that were neglected.

Poetic justice is when the antagonist gets what is coming to him. Superb poetic justice is when it happens in an unexpected, even twisted, manner. That’s what Linda Latimer deals out in Whiskey Shot 3. The anthology includes “Adultery,” “The Annoying Jingle,” and “Perfect Seclusion.”

In "Adultery", Marissa finds herself embarking in an affair with her chauvinistic neighbor, Brad. Despite his perfect body, he manages to turn her off with cruel comments about both of their unaware spouses. Brad and Marissa decide to check out an old historical mansion together. When Brad decides it would be great fun to play around with the shackles on the wall, Marissa decides she has had enough. Lucky for Brad, there seems to be a stream of women to replace his absentee playmate. It could be his luck is about to turn.

Ah, Love. How does one describe it? In a multitude of ways, of course. Love means something different to each individual. It cannot be categorized in a general sense. It must be free to take the form best suited to each person who finds themselves falling into… well, Love. Love An Anthology gives a wide selection of situations and characters, from the first love to the true love to the love found later in life. It is a smorgasbord from which one may pick and choose the pleasing delicacies to tantalize the senses and leave one satisfied, with many other treats for a later snack.

When Kensington decided to start their Aphrodisia line of books for their hotter, sexier stories, everyone was talking about which authors Kensington would pick to open their new line. For me, I try never to miss a Jodi Lynn Copeland story. After experiencing Jodi’s writing through her ebooks, I was looking forward to her debut with a New York publisher only to find that she was going to be one of opening authors for Kensington. That was truly a thrill.

Do you love a paranormal tale? Well, here you get two extraordinary ones! Michelle M Pillow and Mandy M Roth have both produced fantastic shape shifting stories, making this duet anthology one you shouldn't miss, particularly if you are a fan of Pillow and/or Roth, as I am. Though the shape shifter plots I have read most of are werewolves, these two dragon shifters have got me thinking I need to broaden my horizons. I thoroughly enjoyed both tales, and recommend them to any paranormal (shape shifting) romantica fan.

From beautiful women cursed with a duel nature or lips that turn men to stone, to dragons walking in human form, DREAMQUEST explores love, relationships and the many facets of humanity. In it we meet Arraine DuBois, cursed to destroy the men whom she loved; Amirilla, whose fear of rejection was conquered through a love that saw past her crippled legs; and Janie Lane, who learned her own self-worth, breaking out of the prison of her own making.

For all of us who've read our horoscopes while enjoying our morning coffee (or tea) and hoped those star-inspired words might hold some truth comes a series of two-story anthologies by Liquid Silver Books each containing themes of one of the twelve zodiac signs.

Enter the Gemini anthology. Claire Reed, heroine of Shara Lanel's "Directing Claire", manages to find a job any writer would lust after: temping as a secretary for a phone that rarely rings. With the support of her handsome boss Devon Marceau, she spends her free time pursuing her true passion – working on her novel. But when she asks Devon if he'd like to split a pizza as her treat to him for being so understanding, she ends up getting much more from the FBI agent than she bargained for.

For all of us who've read our horoscopes while enjoying our morning coffee (or tea), and hoped those star-inspired words might hold some truth comes a series of two-story anthologies by Liquid Silver Books, each with themes of one of the twelve zodiac signs.

The Aries anthology contains two good stories to enjoy whenever you find yourself with a little time to spend reading. After reviewing the Taurus anthology, I expected the Aries anthology to be limited to sharing just the Zodiac theme – but what a treat it was when I discovered both Aries stories had more similarities--thirtieth birthdays, handsome heroes and sizzling love scenes

I find myself increasingly reading anthologies, partly because they contain brilliant tales but also because they are a great value for the money. I love miniseries. If I read one, then I simply must read the others. Since most serial stories are separate, this can end up costing me a fortune but with Operation Love, this is not the case.

This anthology contains the tales of triplet sisters, all of whom have vowed not to marry a man in the military. They come to realize that loving a man means you are grateful for the time you can spend with him, preferring a small amount of togetherness over none at all.

Ordinarily, I do not read anthologies. What drew me to this collection of stories, entitled Nibbles ‘n’ Bits, was one of the authors: Judy Mays. Although I had not yet read anything by the other authors of this anthology, I have read Judy Mays’ Heat series, which I love (and am eagerly awaiting future releases!). I enjoy romantic vampire tales, and in this anthology, I got three! What a bargain! For these reasons, I was eager to try out this Ellora’s Cave e-book – and I am ecstatic that I did.

Full Moon Magic
J. C. Wilder

Esmerelda Proctor, being the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, had been delivered her great, great, grandmother's wedding dress, and was commanded by her father (who didn't like her very much) to fulfill her arranged marriage next Saturday. Because of her magical heritage, she had been imprisoned by her father for years with her eunuch guard, Shani, and a deaf woman named Ivy. To save herself from the arranged marriage, she finally took action, and conjured up a lover to break the betrothal. Through some magical spheres he'd given her years before, Ethan Hawke Montgomery, her betrothed had watched her for years, and now he watched her conjure up a lover. A powerful wizard himself, he knew just what to do to be the answer to her magical prayers. This is a very sweet fairy-tale-like romance. I was completely charmed by both Esme and her enchanting Hawke.

In the erotic short story anthology SOULFUL SEX: EROTIC TALES OF FANTASY AND ROMANCE, Diana Laurence presents us with a collection of six steamy erotic fantasies that prove there can be more to sex than just physical gratification. She sets out to show her readers that a sexual experience can involve not only your body, but your soul as well.

In PINTS, lab technician Eliza didn't work late very often, but one night proved to be enough for her to get to know Anders a little better. She knew there was something unusual about him, but she couldn't decide what it was. He attracted her to him in a way she had never felt before, almost as if he had some special power that could make her desire him. After only a short time, Eliza found out that was exactly what he had been doing.