Showing results by author "Maria K" in All Categories

Imagine an alternative Earth, where elves, imps, demons, and extraterrestrials coexist within the bounds of an unimaginably diverse, complex, and intricately structured society. The socialites are content with their relatively carefree existence filled with amusement, scheming, and gossip, until a mysterious circus performer arrives on the scene and challenges both the laws of physics and the core traditions of her world.

The tale of The Princess and the Frog takes a decidedly darker turn as Doc sets out to investigate what truly happened between the king's daughter and the talking amphibian.

The best of Deep Magic: Volume 1—fantastical worlds of space adventures, changelings, and dragons await—stories with depth, strong protagonists, high tension, all told while pulling at your heartstrings, or making you smile with understanding. In this volume, you'll find twenty-two stories, including many novelettes. Go on adventures from deep space to ancient Rome (with magic), to Mars, and many other new fantasy worlds.

Stories with depth, strong protagonists, high tension, all told while pulling at your heartstrings, or making you smile with understanding. In this anthology, you'll find fifteen stories, including many novelettes. Go on adventures with heroes old and young, a couple of war pigs, and visit many new fantasy worlds. Watch out for the dragons! Deep Magic: Volume 3 has stories that will satisfy your hunger to escape.

As Christmas comes to Land Far Away, all creatures make ready for the festivities. One young Linzer is not satisfied by the prospect of gifts - she wants to capture the big man, Father Christmas himself.

From Egypt to a Russian village to the mountains of Eastern Europe and back, one of the old-fashioned gentlemen of Russian literature, Nikolai Leskov, takes his listeners on a journey of spirit, mind, and imagination.

Inspector Peter Glebski thinks he is on vacation. Instead, he ends up embroiled in the strangest murder case of his long career.

International Research Institute of Sleep (IRIS) is the last resort for patients seeking a good night's sleep. When an odd sleep disorder epidemic flares up in multiple locations around the world, IRIS must call on its secret weapon - a group of sleep experts unafraid to look for answers beyond the boundaries of the ordinary.

Sleeping Beauty might be the title character of the famous fairy tale, but, in truth, she didn't do much to bring the story to a happy ending. Let us find out who really did all the hard work.

What would happen if damsels in distress defied evil wizards and wicked queens, dismissed the marginally competent princes, and took the matters of their rescuing into their own hands? Find one possible answer here, in the first installment of Maria K's Alternative Endings series.

New Orleans, Louisiana, 1854. One slave woman takes a stand to free her family from servitude. When heaven offers no comfort, she turns to a different kind of authority.

Doc receives another task, only to discover that it is not so much a riddle to unravel but a family crisis to be averted.

The Alternative Villains series opens with another look into the seemingly straightforward tale of Snow White and the bewitched apple. The piece of fruit in question turns out to have unexpected properties, and leads into an investigation of the less obvious aspects of this story.

On the heels of the worst year in his life, Carter Wolski loses his will to live. He is prodded, shoved, sniffed, and slobbered back to life by a trio of very strange helpers.

Be careful what you wish for when you say you want someone to love you to death. Such is the warning by Alexander Kuprin, issued in this beautifully written and poignant story.

The lore and everyday life of the Caucasus Region had a great impact on Mikhail Lermontov's work. In addition to serious, profound pieces with very clear Caucasus influence, like "The Hero of Our Time" and "Demon", he offers up this very traditional and slightly mischievous tale of a wandering minstrel in search of happiness.

Not all vampires walk the land alone — sometimes they bring their relatives. So discovers a lonely traveler when he carelessly visits a haunted village.

Alexander Kuprin prefaced his novel The Pit about the lives of early 20th century Russian prostitutes as follows, "I know many people will find this novel amoral and inappropriate, but nevertheless I dedicated it from the bottom of my heart to mothers and young people" Indeed, the novel's publication was followed by an explosion of outrage. The "good" society accused Kuprin of slander and forever exiled him from its sitting rooms, charity auctions, and holiday balls. Progressive intellecutals winced and shuddered, but could not help admitting Kuprin had a point.

Bethany Simmons takes a shortcut on a stormy night and ends up in a place where one man is both sustained by the ghosts of his past and held captive by them.

An exciting new technology with limitless entertainment possibilities turns out to be a lot more than anyone had bargained for.