Showing results by author "R. A." in All Categories

This fascinating yet disquieting audiobook finds that we are running out of dirt, and it's no laughing matter. An engaging natural and cultural history of soil that sweeps from ancient civilizations to modern times, Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations explores the compelling idea that we are, and have long been, using up Earth's soil. Once bare of protective vegetation and exposed to wind and rain, cultivated soils erode bit by bit, slowly enough to be ignored in a single lifetime but fast enough over centuries to limit the lifespan of civilizations.

Kallista had always known she was different. The shadows had always called to her. She craved to be held safe in their cool depths. To escape her parent's methods of attempting to rid her of her demons. Valen was destruction. Everything he touched crumbled. Everywhere he went, pain followed. He learned a millennia ago that being alone was the only way to keep the world safe. When the marks that had shown on Valen's wrist years ago suddenly changed, he realized that there was more to his world than he knew. A woman called to the deepest parts of him.

Maintaining stability in a city full of pirates is a delicate balancing act, particularly when one is motivated by making sure the common folk are taken care of instead of simple personal greed. Jarlaxle and his band of rogues known as Bregan D'aerthe are doing their best, stabilizing the city after warding off a terrible attack by demonic and gnoll forces. But now three merchant ships have been destroyed and sent to the ocean floor - obliterated in such a quick and brutal manner that it makes little sense it’s pirates seeking plunder.

The Doones are a clan of murdering thieves, and among their victims is John Ridd's father. The strong, noble Ridd determines to avenge his father's death; but his plans are complicated when he falls in love with one of the hated family - the beautiful Lorna. Lorna is promised against her will to another; and that other will not let her go lightly. Set amid the political turmoils of the late 17th century, Lorna Doone brings West Country history and legends alive with wonderfully imaginative fiction.

Two mighty empires are at war - and both will lose, with thousands of planets falling to the extinction event called the Scour. At least that's what the artificial intelligence known as Rupshe believes. But somewhere in the multiverse there exists a force - the Mother Mass - that could end the war in an instant, and Rupshe has assembled a team to find it. Essien Nkanika, a soldier trying desperately to atone for past sins; the cat-woman Moon, a conscienceless killer; the digitally recorded mind of physicist Hadiz Tambuwal; Paz, an idealistic child and the renegade robot spy Dulcimer Coronal.

Captain Caleb Card and his crew are on a mission to investigate a transmission believed to be from the lost ship. Ambushed upon arrival, they immediately fear the worst. But the beacon isn’t only active, it’s on the move, and where it leads will change everything they thought they knew about the universe. Cast into a distant galaxy brimming with unknown dangers, they’ll need to adapt quickly if they want to survive long enough to help the missing colonists.

“The hottest collection of studs in romance” (New York Times Bestselling Author Angela Knight) returns as J. R. Ward brings together two of the most beloved people in the Black Dagger Brotherhood world—at last.... Qhuinn, son of no one, is used to being on his own. Disavowed from his...

Marius Wisethorn, Prince of Eleyta, has always wanted one thing: adventure. One night, the perfect opportunity falls in his lap. He intercepts a message about a feral, ancient vampire that has escaped its tomb and comes up with the perfect plan. He'll track down the First and kill it, proving to his sister that he's ready to explore the world.

First published in 1944, Fell Murder sees E.C.R. Lorac at the height of her considerable powers as a purveyor of well-made and traditional detective fiction. The book presents a fascinating 'return of the prodigal' mystery set in the later stages of the Second World War, amidst the close-knit farmerfolk community of Lancashire's lovely Lune valley. The Garths had farmed their fertile acres for generations.

Why are so many Christians falling for teachings that look biblical but lead straight into darkness? Why do entire churches celebrate “truths” that the Apostles would have condemned as heresy? Could it be that what you’ve been taught is not the Gospel at all—but a doctrine of demons? Scripture warns that in the last days, deceiving spirits will infiltrate the Church with doctrines of demons. That moment has arrived. What seems like truth is often the enemy’s deadliest counterfeit.

After an eon of dormancy, the hideous winged demon Dactyl awakens and calls forth an army of darkness to bring horror and devastation to the land of Corona. The only survivors of the ravaged village of Dundalis, young friends Elbryan Wyndon and Jilseponie Ault, are separated in the carnage and, unknown to each other, struggle through lives that will lead to a shared destiny. Avelyn Desbris, a pious young monk, also finds himself on a course that will intersect with the fates of Elbryan and Jilseponie and lead to a fateful confrontation with the monstrous dactyl.

In a future where memories can be stolen and weaponized, one man's gift for reading data makes him the most dangerous target in the solar system. Tyler Grant is a Resonant—someone who can hear the electromagnetic whispers that others can't. He makes his living recovering data from dead ships, staying invisible, keeping his head down. It's safer that way when the Memory Regulation Bureau tracks people like him.

Suddenly I’m neck-deep in a world that I’ve never really believed in, no matter what my crazy great-aunt Mabel used to say. Seriously, I have more than enough drama in my life already, without adding an irresistibly mesmerizing nightclub owner to the mix. My boss - a man with a penchant for trouble and the echo of tragedy lurking behind his dark gaze. My new coworkers appear to be universally insane. My deadbeat ex is in trouble with a capital “T”, and if history is any indication, he’ll do his best to drag my son and me right along with him.

Now in a fully rewritten fourth edition, this is the authoritative presentation of motivational interviewing (MI), the powerful approach to facilitating change. It has been updated and streamlined to be even more user-friendly as a practitioner guide and course text. MI originators William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick elucidate the four tasks of MI—engaging, focusing, evoking, and planning—and vividly demonstrate what they look like in action. A wealth of vignettes and interview examples illustrate the dos and don'ts of successful implementation in diverse contexts.

How should parents raise children, and how should schools educate children? Why are we attracted to things that are forbidden? What is time? How can we understand God, or the nature of evil? What is true friendship? To answer these questions, Professors Cook and Herzman look to the Confessions of St. Augustine of Hippo.

Welcome to the town of Smellville, where a dozen kids all live in a big tumbledown house and have as much fun as they possibly can. People may think that they’re gross and weird and strange, but they’re not bad kids - they just don’t know any better. In this hilarious new series from best-selling author R. L. Stine, the Garbage Pail Kids - from Adam Bomb to Brainy Janie - get into mischief at their middle school, all while battling bullies and their archenemies, Penny and Parker Perfect.  

Possessed by the demon Devina, Balthazar is once again on the hunt for the Book of Spells—and fighting an undeniable attraction to a woman. As a thief, he has stolen a lot of things...but he never thought his heart would be taken by another. Especially not a human. As a homicide detective, Erika Saunders knows there is something otherworldly going on in Caldwell, New York. Mutilated bodies that cannot be explained are all over her case list—and then there are her nightmares. 

Far away, an old enemy senses weakness. The vast empire of Ulvatia desires new lands. Under a ruthless new leader, the empire turns its armies on Erland. Orsian has lived in hiding since his father Andrick was cut down in battle. On the dark backstreets of Cliffark, surrounded by thieves and pirates, he finds a home. When Erland is threatened, Orsian knows he must fight. Will he protect his new friends or risk returning to his family?

Sara’s life turns upside down when someone leaves her a funerary urn, black roses, and death threats on her doorstep. Fearing her work as a stripper and showgirl has put her in the sights of a demented stalker, she turns to her best friend and fellow dancer for help.

Even as her heart is pulled in two directions, Helena fights to save Sparta in the face of a tyrannical king, in this romantasy retelling of Helen of Troy. Sparta is dying. Gods once ruled the land, until King Menelaus cast them out and crowned himself in their place. Now, drought scorches the...