Showing results by narrator "Michael Levine" in All Categories

The CIA wants James Hawker dead. For years, his one-man campaign against organized crime has struck fear into America's most corrupt politicians, and now they're striking back. Hawker escaped the United States by the skin of his teeth, and has spent the last months living the life of a glamorous expatriate in Latin America: fast cars, lovely women, and all the champagne his Swiss bank account can buy him. For some men, it would be paradise. For Hawker, a life without action is a living hell.

In the autumn of 1834, New York City was awash with rumors of a strange religious cult operating nearby, centered around a mysterious, self-styled prophet named Matthias. It was said that Matthias the Prophet was stealing money from one of his followers; then came reports of lascivious sexual relations, based on odd teachings of matched spirits, apostolic priesthoods, and the inferiority of women. At its climax, the rumors transformed into legal charges, as the Prophet was arrested for the murder of a once highly regarded Christian gentleman who had fallen under his sway.

In this new collection, Richard Thomas has crafted 14 stories that push the boundaries of dark fiction in an intoxicating, piercing blend of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Equally provocative and profound, each story is masterfully woven with transgressive themes that burrow beneath the skin.

Brenda Paulie is fresh out of law school, newly married, and recently pregnant. She's also marked to die. In an affluent neighborhood of Detroit, three masked men burst into Brenda's house, beat her husband senseless, and take her captive - their 13th victim this year. Only one man can save her: James Hawker, America's deadliest vigilante. And when he comes to Detroit, the city will never be the same.

For Con Ye Cwong, the Vietnam War will never be over. Head of the North Vietnamese secret police during the brutal conflict, he has built himself an empire selling cocaine and heroin to the West. Even after the war, American servicemen remain his favorite targets. He relishes nothing more than getting a soldier hooked, and then upping the price until the junkie has no choice but to reveal military secrets for the next fix. He's one of the most powerful men in the world, and James Hawker is going to take him down.

Though they see each other only once a month, Amanda’s sweet body and wicked ways have been driving Derek wild for over a year. And now that he’s moving to Austin, Derek is determined to have Amanda in his bed permanently. There’s only one problem: Amanda’s happy with their current arrangement. Can Derek convince her a lifetime of nights together will be so much sweeter?

In his clear, empathetic style, Jonathan Foiles, author of the critically acclaimed This City Is Killing Me, walks us through these and other troubling examples of bias in mental health, placing them in context of past blunders in the history of psychiatry and the DSM. Diagnoses are helpful but not necessary, he argues, and here he offers a pragmatic and sympathetic guide to how we might craft a better and more just therapeutic future.

Poul Anderson's novel The Broken Sword draws on similar Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon sources as The Fellowship of the Ring. In his greed for land and power, Orm the Strong slays the family of a Saxon witch-and for his sins, the Northman must pay with his newborn son. Stolen by elves and replaced by a changeling, Skafloc is raised to manhood unaware of his true heritage and treasured for his ability to handle the iron that the elven dare not touch. Meanwhile, the being who supplanted him as Orm's son grows up angry and embittered by the humanity he has been denied.

Dieter Harmon stared in shock at the sight of the hiker's corpse, the head hanging only by a tangled ribbon of flesh. But what horrified him were claw marks on the victim's chest. Something has gone terribly wrong with the government's plan to return wolves to Yellowstone.

Layla grows restless. The Colony is filled with secrets, and James keeps her in the dark. So, when a woman from her youth opens a crack into her past, Layla discovers everything she believed about the Colony has been a lie - even the baby she carries. Burdened with an unnerving pregnancy and tormented by terrifying hallucinations and blackouts, she sets out to uncover the unspeakable truths inside the Colony’s walls.

Alyssa Jackson is one of the lucky ones. She has a thriving business, great friends, a devoted husband, an adorable daughter, and a scorching hot sex life that would be the envy of any married couple. Then, one tragic loss flips her world upside down. Floundering and unsure of how to cope with their grief, Alyssa and her husband drift apart until they are living as roommates instead of a deeply connected couple. Alyssa will do anything to get the intense passion back into her life and marriage, no matter how far out of the box she has to step.

Taz Hazard's only concern is looking out for himself, and he has no intention of changing his ways until he finds sexy-as-sin Bianca at the most notorious mansion in Ft. Worth. Now he's tangled up in a missing person case tied into a powerful new drug about to flood the streets if they can't find a way to stop it before it's too late. Taking on a drug cartel isn't safe, but when passion ignites between them, Taz and Bianca discover their hearts aren't bulletproof either.

The Delivery Man is a thrilling and astonishing debut - a scary, fast-paced, and illuminating portrait of the MySpace generation. It is a love story set against the surreal excess of Las Vegas - and the artificial suburbs, gated communities, and freeways that surround it - where broken lives come to seek new beginnings and casinos feed the lust of tourists and residents alike. Ultrasophisticated local kids grow up fast and burn out early.

In her previous books, Vicki Len put listeners in the sandals of now obsolete laborers, ranging from funeral clowns to armpit pluckers, and untangled the twisted threads of superstition and science in antiquity. Now, in this book of astonishing true tales of love and sex in long-ago Greece, Rome, and other cultures around the Mediterranean, she opens the doors to shadowy rooms and parts the curtains of decorum.

When Kai Green joined nine other Navy SEALs to build a sustainable community in Chance Creek, Montana, he never dreamed the day would come when he'd have to marry a woman sight unseen - or lose everything. Now he has to find a way to build a life with a perfect stranger - one who seems perfectly unqualified for happiness at Base Camp - or with him.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder? Not when you're the devil's nephew. An unexpected message gives Frank the answer he's sought for years - where did God and Lucifer go? - but the knowledge brings its own dilemma as interdimensional war looms, threatening to engulf the Earth. Tasked with the planet's defense, Frank scrounges for a plan and finds a piece of his past better left behind. If the aliens don't kill him, what he learns just might.

"The Chambers Tape", written and directed by Graham Reznick. Life got you down? We have just the tonic! Relax, breathe deeply, and close your eyes. Let the calming effects of The Aviary work its magic on you. Larry Fessenden and Glenn McQuaid's award-winning Tales from Beyond the Pale, now entering its sixth year, has produced over 40 audio dramas from a wide array of today's leading genre writers and directors. Season three was produced by Larry Fessenden, Glenn McQuaid, and Jenn Wexler.

Against insurmountable odds, the Mundanes have launched a daring rescue for Beth. Luckily, they're not alone.... The Horsemen are with them. But luck might not get them that far, though. Beth is being held deep within the heart of the Dark One's territory. What if Demons weren't just Demons, but something much worse? Now they've found themselves deep in the Dark One's headquarters, without backup or a chance to retreat. It's all or nothing.

Circle of the 9 Muses captures the best practices of the world's most influential story consultants and knowledge workers to help you find, tell, and draw value from your organizational stories as impetus for action. This rich toolbox is loaded with fun, graphical instructions and dozens of unique, replicable, and facilitated processes that require no special training or expertise. You'll discover your organization's hidden narrative assets, use different templates and frameworks to tell the stories of your past, present, and future, and more.

Ten years ago, in the middle of a natural disaster, Navy SEAL Greg Devon lost his heart to a young documentary film director, and when he found out she'd been put in charge of Base Camp, a reality television show, he jumped at the chance to participate. Now, he's in big trouble. If he doesn't marry in 40 days, the sustainable community he's helping to build will be bulldozed. And Renata Ludlow still barely knows he exists.