Substitutions — Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Silas has worked for Death in Nevada for 150 years. He gets Christmas and Christmas Eve off. Only this year, his substitute finds him in a Las Vegas casino. His substitute, who is little more than a boy, a boy whose task terrifies him. If the boy finishes the task, he'll have a permanent job. If he doesn't, a dozen kids will live in agony. Silas hates the choice. He wants to tell the boy, That's the job. Get used to it. But he can't. Because it's Christmas, and the boy is all alone…

Award-winning, bestselling writer Kristine Kathryn Rusch has published books under many names and in many genres. Her fantasy novels about the Fey have been published all over the world, and will be reissued by WMG Publishing throughout 2011. They were recently re-released in the United States as audio books. She has won the World Fantasy Award and is the former editor of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine. She also writes fantasy novels under the name Kristine Grayson.