Showing results by narrator "Joe Hempel" in All Categories

Daniel Hill will never forget the day he heard these words: "Daniel, you may be white, but don't let that lull you into thinking you have no culture. White culture is very real. In fact, when white culture comes in contact with other cultures, it almost always wins. So it would be a really good idea for you to learn about your culture." Confused and unsettled by this encounter, Hill began a journey of understanding his own white identity. Today he is an active participant in addressing and confronting racial and systemic injustices.

A cataclysmic explosion has given earthly teens astronomical powers-when the star Mentarsus-H went supernova at their conceptions, the teens absorbed the shattered soul of the star and inherited unimaginable abilities. Now the Star Shards have become like gods, drunk on their own power-and ripe for manipulation by The Bringer, a creature who would turn them against one another and transform the planet into his own personal feeding ground. But who is more dangerous: The Bringer or the Star Shards?

Daisuke Kugo was born to a family of skilled fire magic users. As the eldest son, he was to become the next clan head. Then came his thirteenth birthday and his spirit awakening ceremony. He failed, getting badly burned in the process. Rejected by the spirits, Daisuke is quickly banished to a Swiss boarding school. After graduation, Daisuke wonders Europe, collecting magical items and knowledge. Though the fire spirits rejected him, he is highly skilled in other forms of magic.

Harper Gale had a good life hunting and living in a log cabin with her father in the peaceful town of Parrville. But that all changed when a pair of wizards show up and murder him. With her life in tatters and her heart burning with rage, Harper and her best friend West set out on the road for revenge. That dark path isn’t an easy one and Harper soon finds herself in deep trouble as she faces murderers, undead, and even a demon.

Harper Gale has gotten half of her revenge. She’s also gotten herself mixed up in a serious mess. The Acolytes of Darkness now have an army of wraiths at their command. Numbering in the hundreds, virtually invulnerable to non-magical weapons, and able to kill with a touch, the wraiths are a threat to all of Montage.

After barely surviving the horrors in ACM mine 1134, Justin Barclay and his ghostly tagalong board a colonist ship bound for a new world. As they explore the futuristic colonist city within the ship, they quickly realize all is not as it seems. The arrival of Dr. Hallie Hayes, a fugitive scientist, arrives on the colonist ship shortly after. Her charge: get her life’s work to the core Coalition planets before it falls into the wrong hands. But she’s too late.

Montage City has fallen and the survivors are now prisoners of the Acolytes of Darkness. The only resistance is gathered in the Village of Alchemists. They’re safe, but for how long? The Acolytes will do anything to resurrect their master, including slaughter as many innocents as necessary to force their enemy’s hand. With the final confrontation looming, can Harper get her long sought revenge and stop Acolytes or will a new age of darkness fall over Montage?

Things are going from bad to worse in The Five Kingdoms as the cult of Ardent Lilly works to cause chaos and build a massive demon army. With so many lives at stake and despite his hopes to the contrary, Danny finds himself drawn deeper into the fight. And the first thing he has to do? Rescue the woman who betrayed and murdered him. Once Lyra is safe, it’s a race to defeat the leaders of the cult before they can bring their plans to fruition. With the Fate of The Five Kingdoms resting in the balance, can this former Marine defeat Ardent Lilly’s cult once and for all?

Do you feel trapped by today’s hustle-and-grind culture? Do you feel overwhelmed and overworked? Would you like to live a simpler, more mindful, more rewarding life? If so, THE ART OF GOING SLOW is for you. Imagine having the time to nurture your most important relationships. Imagine being able to focus on your priorities and passions rather than rushing around catering to others. Imagine setting healthy boundaries that allow you to avoid life’s unnecessary chaos, turmoil, and pandemonium.

The High Kingdom has known 20 years of peace. The true reason is unknown to everyone, save Sultan Vilos the First. At the height of the Crown War, Vilos made a deal with a powerful sorcerer. Vilos’ reign would be secured in exchange for his first-born daughter. The sorcerer promised to come for the princess on her 18th birthday. That day is today. The sorcerer is coming to claim his due, and if he doesn’t get it, all Hell is going to break loose.

He may not win Father of the Year, but Clint Edwards has won the hearts of thousands, thanks to his candor and irreverence when it comes to raising kids, being married, and learning from his mistakes. Clint has three children: Tristan (the know it all), Norah (the snarky princess), and Aspen (the worst roommate ever). He describes parenting as "a million different gears turning in a million different directions, all of them covered in sour milk." In this inspiring and unconventional book of essays, he sheds light on the darker yet hilarious side of domestic life.

Create a bulletproof first impression and turn strangers into lasting relationships. Beat surface level small talk and truly connect. You've seen them - people who have the ability to walk into a room of strangers, instantly befriend everyone, and leave with 20 new contacts in their phone. What makes people open up, engage, and connect with them? They've mastered the first 60 seconds of any interaction. Learn the subtle signs people actually pay attention to.

It's the ultimate haunted house challenge. A crumbling stone mansion nestled in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, it may be the best-kept secret in Europe—a little-known attraction featuring nine escape rooms to explore, nine puzzles to solve, and a large cash prize for anyone who makes it to the end. There's just one catch: no one makes it to the end of The No-End House . . . When Joe Hadfield hears about the house from a pair of backpackers, he's intrigued but not interested. He's trying to escape a nightmare of his own.

Our ravens still haven't met, but in my heart, I already know she's meant to be mine. Stubbornly, she refuses to let that happen. She claims it won't matter anyway because our families would never allow it. We come from separate classes, but this is the twenty-first century, and I don't care. The road won't be easy, but if she is truly my one true mate, nothing will stop me from claiming her.

Hotel manager Eloise Price is getting a crash course in being careful what you wish for. After years of dreaming about owning the historic Crane Hotel, she was thrilled when her former boss left half of the hotel to her in his will. But dreams have a funny way of turning into nightmares and all that original plumbing has sucked her bank account dry. It doesn't help that her co-owner hasn't lifted a finger to help. Would a jury convict her if she strangled him?

Eight deliciously talented mystery authors have lent their skills of crafting murder and suspense to this collection of gripping short stories. Each of these eight provocative tales is designed to entertain and mystify—and maybe even chill you to your core. Get lost in the wild imaginations of such New York Times bestselling writers as Andrew Child, Heather Graham, Reed Farrel Coleman, and John Gilstrap, plus authors Rick Bleiweiss, Jennifer Graeser Dornbush, Amanda Flower, and Don Bruns.

In the once-tranquil town of Briarwood, 1963 marked the year when peace shattered into chaos. A lifetime of torment and humiliation pushed Jones Jepsen to the brink, and within him, a dormant darkness awakened. In a chilling rampage driven by a thirst for revenge, Jones embarks on a spree of violence that shakes the very foundation of Briarwood. As the body count rises, the town's inhabitants find themselves trapped in a nightmare, asking the harrowing question.

After surviving the horrors of your last visit, you thought the nightmare was over. But when your little brother falls deathly ill, the only cure lies deep within the place you swore you’d never return to. Something evil has taken root, spilling beyond Grandma’s walls and into the surrounding mountains.

As the star forward for the Boston Blades, I've earned a reputation for no-strings attached hookups and a mean slapshot that has all the ladies purring - but it's never been the one woman I want to see all fired up and ready to score. Boston's own Ice Queen Gwen James has had my emotions all tangled up for years. I've played the games. I've sat on the sidelines. I'm done being benched. When she approaches me for a second chance, I accept on one condition: she's got to prove she's all in. It just might kill me to keep my hands to myself, but it's time Gwen knows what it's like to beg.

A mysterious suicide. Horrific specters walking the streets. A drug that promises to change the world. An apocalyptic cult. Something is stirring in the city of Duluth, Minnesota. Ever since a celebrated researcher announced the creation of a new experimental drug - a drug with the potential to cure the mind of countless ills - people have been disappearing. When a grad student involved with the drug's development unexpectedly commits suicide, a private detective is tasked with unearthing the details of her tumultuous final days. This miracle drug may not be what it seems.