Four timeless tales from Sheri L. McGathy, together in one collection:

"The Birth of Spring" When the Winter King stays the wheel, refusing to allow the season to turn, the Summer Queen has no choice but to declare war. Yet, there is one within the southern realms unwilling to see the peoples of Faery wage war. Astara, daughter of the Summer Queen, has taken it upon herself to journey alone to the northern realms, seek out the Winter King, and beg him if she must, to release the wheel. The season must be allowed to change.

"Thief of Dreams" Nerys Devi has met the man she could love with all her heart, the one she would share her dreams with. Yet, fate has other plans. Instead of sharing her dreams, will he now be doomed to haunt them?

"The Ancient One" When Talwyn followed her people, the Golden, from the mist, she found herself reborn into a wondrous world of greens and blues and light and warmth. When she heard the spirits within the trees call out to her, she found again the oneness she thought lost to her forever. When the spirits showed her a future that would see her beloved trees destroyed, Talwyn vowed to protect them, even if it meant never returning to the mist again.

"Where Lies Beauty" When Tanner is hired to find the mythical city of Sha-da-nay, little does she know that what she seeks is far different than what she’ll find. For buried in the darkest depths of the Hagath Forest is a truth that can set her free, if only she is willing to truly see WHERE LIES BEAUTY.

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There are souls so sinister and bleak that good fears to look within but perhaps if we venture deep enough, we will discover more than just pain. Come, journey with us through that darkness to find what lies within those Stygian Souls.

Dark fantasy by: Michele Acker, Bob Faw, Carol Hightshoe, Lee Masterson, Sheri McGathy, Tina Morgan, and Rie Sheridan. Cover art by Matt Baugh. The people of Faery could not go to war, for if they did, the land and all that depended upon its bounty would suffer. Somehow, Astara must make the Winter King remember this before the bitter chill of winter silenced her voice forever.

Awards: 2007 The Lories; 2006 Dream Realm

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On the lonely trails of the windswept plains, desperate spirits wander across time burdened with the raw emotion of their unsettled lives.

Does the fog creeping up from the river bring vengeful ghosts seeking to settle an old score?

Are the fleeting shadows you see from the corner of your eye leading you to the horrors of the restless dead?

These sixteen compelling and spooky stories of love, legends and evil will challenge your sense of reality. Is the deserted church really the Gates of Hell? Can a murdered cat save a young woman's life? Will the friendship of two small children surmount even death? How far will a long-dead mother go to get back a precious charm bracelet? What is the prairie spirit that demands a terrible price from those who break the sod?

From a wind-tossed lake to a lonely abandoned cemetery; from a stone mansion to a barnstormer's plane, eerie specters await you as you dare to trespass time.

Awards: 2005 Foreword Magazine BOTY

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"Come, come. Do not dally. My old bones creak and moan their protests, begging me to finish what I have already begun.

"A tale awaits us, its ending yet to be told," the Storyteller proclaimed. "'Tis a tale of legend, of magic and elves, of sorrow, and of hope.

"Come, gather near, and we will discover what mysteries abound within the mists of enchantment, and learn together, what fate holds for our young heroes."

The Storyteller waved his wrinkled hand before him as he nodded to a spot near his feet. "Come, sit, and listen, and I will continue the tale Ra-May and Michall began when first they set out to save the Elfen kingdom of Ra-Jee.

"And so," whispered the old Storyteller. "The tale begins…."

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"Gather round. Aye, gather near, and I will spin you a tale of magic from a time long since lost to lore. Come and I will tell of elves and the kingdom of Ra-Jee, a kingdom now forgotten in the mists of enchantment.

"This tale is one of sacrifice and sorrow, yet one of hope offered to a future not yet written." The Storyteller curled his gnarled fingers over the worn top of his cane and smiled. "And it is a tale of a young elfen maiden named Ra-May and the human male, Michall, she is destined to meet.

"Come, join me as I tell of these two very different and unique individuals, brought together by fate, and guided by ancient magic as they venture forward to save Ra-Jee--or die trying.

"And so," whispered the old Storyteller. "The tale begins..."

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Sheri L. McGathy, the author of such stories as The Ancient One (From Within the Mist anthology) and Thief of Dreams (Twilight Crossings anthology) presents her latest fantasy novel: Within the Shadow of Stone, a journey through legend and myth to the time of the ancient standing stones -- to a world where warriors are bound to the stone and the Shroud Born walks within the mist.

Bree of Clan Dunstan, and her people, the Skye, worship the stones, though the Skye fail to remember the reasons why. The people no longer hear the song within the solemn megaliths for the Skye have forgotten how to sing.

Now, as the pulse of the land slows, and the seasons falter, it's to the stones that Bree, a true Shroud Born, must turn and their whispers she must hear. For within their still forms is a truth that could save them all, if only she will listen to their call.

~ When your need is truly great, the stone shall not forsake. ~

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