February Thaw is the second e-collection by Tanya Huff and brings together some of the short fiction that helped define the field. From an Imperial Dragon in Toronto's Chinatown, to a heavy metal retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk, to the realization that the ancient gods are one highly dysfunctional family, Huff skews our world slightly sideways. These seven stories, each with a brand new introduction by the author, remind us that the weird and the wonderful is all around us if we only bother to look.

The sharp and suspenseful new sequel to The Next One Will Kill You, perfect for fans of Joseph Hansen, Richard Stevenson, Randy Wayne White, and James W. Hall. With less than a year of experience and only one big case behind him, FBI Special Agent Angus Green has joined the rarefied group of agents who have been wounded in the line of duty. Assigned to a desk job while he recovers, Angus wonders if he's chosen the right career. He's been following his late father's dream for a life of adventure and travel—and instead encountered danger, pain, and heartbreak.But when Angus discovers that gay teens are being sexually abused by a pornographer in the same neighborhood where he lives, he shoves aside his lingering doubts about his job and accepts his new assignment. The case takes him from Fort Lauderdale's seamy underbelly to boisterous beachfront bars where big-fish Russian émigrés launder illegal cash. Angus is back in full effect, but with great power...

1954. Something's happening in the idyllic town of Amorea—Mike hears voices and sees shadows and flocks of birds invisible to everyone else. And no matter what, Mike must protect the man he loves.

Traditional cowboy Cotton and tattooed Emmy couldn't be more different. That's part of their attraction, but different worlds can make for a lot of heartache. Emmy doesn't really like cowboys. She might be from Texas, but she's a city girl, truly invested in keeping Austin weird, just like the slogan says. With her corsets and tattoos, she stands out at the western bar where she ends up after being abandoned by her friends. That might be why she catches the attention of Cotton, who's a bull rider by trade, and definitely a cowboy. Cotton thinks Emmy might be the most fascinating girl he's ever met. She's not a cowgirl, and she's not model skinny, but she's beautiful and smart and he wants her like he's never wanted anything before. As one date turns into months of seeing each other in between bull riding events, Cotton starts to think that Emmy is the all-important One. Cotton's friends and family might not be so sure, though. As Emmy's life starts to...

Billy Wright has a problem: he's only visible when he's wearing a mask. That's fine when he's performing at country fairs with the rest of his morris dancing troupe. But when he takes the paint off, his life is lonely and empty, and he struggles with crippling depression.Martin Deng stands out from the crowd. After all, there aren't that many black Vikings on the living history circuit. But as the founder of a fledgling historical re-enactment society, he's lonely and harried. His boss doesn't like his weekend activities, his warriors seem to expect him to run everything single-handedly, and it's stressful enough being one minority without telling the hard men of his group he's also gay.When Billy's and Martin's societies are double-booked at a packed county show, they know at once they are kindred spirits, united by a deep feeling of connectedness to their history and culture. But they're also both hiding in their different ways, and they need each other to be brave...

The psychic predicted Ky would meet his one and only. What in the world does he do with two guys who both match her description? Ky Maxwell is desperate for work. When his cushy studio PR job disappears, his former boss takes pity on him, referring him to an independent movie company going into production with a huge sci-fi trilogy. Ky's excited until Lisa, his prospective employer, insists on doing an astrological chart of Ky as part of the interview, along with a psychic reading. His crazy maybe-boss predicts a new man coming into Ky's life. She goes into great detail. He's a fire sign, probably a Leo, his first name starts with a T, he's in his early 30s. And...he's the one! Ky couldn't be less interested. He needs work. Love won't pay the bills. He doesn't get the job because Lisa believes their stars are out of alignment. Really? The reading is proving to be frighteningly accurate. Since he's cut off from her, though, he has no idea which of the...