“Lackey has created an intelligent, self-possessed heroine.”
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“Wry and scintillating take on the Cinderella story…Lackey’s tale resonates with charm as magical as the fairy-tale realm she portrays.”
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“Lee’s prose is a waking dream, filled with tropical sensualities.”
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“Tanith Lee is an elegant, ironic stylist—one of our very best authors.”
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“A swift pace, a good mystery, a likable protagonist, magic, danger—
—Jim Butcher, author of the best-selling series The Dresden Files
MERCEDES LACKEY
is the author of the Heralds of Valdemar series, the Five Hundred Kingdoms series, plus several other series and stand-alone books. She has collaborated with such luminaries as Marion Zimmer Bradley, Anne McCaffrey and Andre Norton. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband, Larry Dixon, and far too many birds. Her next Five Hundred Kingdoms title,
TANITH LEE
was born in 1947, in England. Unable to read until she was almost eight, she began to write at the age of nine. To date she has published almost seventy novels, ten short-story collections and well over 200 short stories. Lee has also written for BBC Radio and TV. Her work has won several awards, and has been translated into more than twenty languages. She is married to the writer/artist John Kaiine. Readers can find more information about Lee at www.TanithLee.com or www.daughterofthenight.com.
C.E. MURPHY
holds an utterly impractical degree in English and history. At age six, Catie submitted several poems to an elementary school publication. The teacher producing it chose (inevitably) the one Catie thought was the worst of the three, but he also stopped her in the hall one day and said two words that made an indelible impression: “Keep writing.” It was sound advice, and she’s pretty much never looked back. She lives in Alaska with her husband Ted, roommate Shaun and a number of pets. More information about Catie and her writing can be found at www.cemurphy.net.
www.LUNA-Books.com
First edition November 2005
WINTER MOON
ISBN 1-55254-379-X
The publisher acknowledges the copyright holders of the individual works as follows:
MOONTIDE
Copyright © 2005 by Mercedes Lackey
THE HEART OF THE MOON
Copyright © 2005 by Tanith Lee
BANSHEE CRIES
Copyright © 2005 by Catherine Murphy
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Worldwide Library, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and TM are trademarks of Harlequin Books S.A., used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
MOONTIDE
Mercedes Lackey
Dedicated to my fellow “Lunatics” at www.LUNA-Books.com, without whom I would be a great deal less sane
Dear Reader,
The world I created for the Five Hundred Kingdoms stories is a place where fairy tales can come true—which is not always a good thing. But it is important to remember that most people living in this world go about their lives blissfully unaware of the force that I call “The Tradition” and its blind drive to send certain lives down predestined paths. As long as their lives are not touched by The Tradition, as long as they do not find themselves replicating the story of some tale, song, or myth, most people go about their business never even guessing that such a force exists.
Such are the characters in this story, “Moontide.” There is no mention of The Tradition, nor of Fairy Godmothers. These folks have magic, indeed, but it is small magic for the most part. Do not underestimate the small magics, however. A great deal can be done with a very little magic at the right time and place. And even more can be done with a heart full of courage, and someone you can trust at your side.
