Showing results by narrator "Stephen Davies Bel" in All Categories

Evoking such classics as Elmer Gantry and The Day of the Locust, William Giraldi's About Face boldly transfers the perennial literary themes of celebrity, ambition, and obsession to twenty-first-century Boston. There we meet Val Face, a charismatic self-help guru who captivates multitudes with his uncanny ability to heal adherents using only the power of his words, the mysterious touch of his hands, and the transcendent beauty of his face.

In 2072 an object from outer space was discovered that threatened human civilization. A race against time began, and in 2080 the starship Exodus left Earth orbit, saving a small piece of humanity. This is the story of those left behind.

Angelique Carson had no idea that once she was let out of her hidden realm to protect the Guardians' children that her life would take a turn for the worse. Sure Thane Sinclair is her mate, but there is no way she intends to indulge in any kind of carnal pleasure until her main job is done - and that could take years. Thane's sole purpose is to train the Guardians for battle. The moment he encounters the powerful and beautiful Angelique, however, his mission takes a back burner. Boy, does it. The only problem is that Angelique isn't interested. Could have fooled him.

Sex. It’s something that’s on everyone’s mind. But the minds that thought of the weird, strange, and stupid sex acts that are reported in Fifty Shades of Dumb: True Stories of Strange and Screwy Sex are a breed of their own - and unfortunately some of them try to breed on their own.

What Luck, This Life begins in the aftermath of the space shuttle's break-up, as the people of Piney Woods watch their pastures swarm with searchers and reporters bluster at their doors. A shop owner defends herself against a sexual predator who is pushed to new boldness after he is disinvited to his family reunion. A closeted father facing a divorce that will leave his gifted boy adrift retrieves an astronaut's remains. An engineer who dreams of orbiting Earth joins a search for debris and instead uncovers an old neighbor's buried longing.

Distinguished author Dr. Charles R. Chaffin delivers a fun and evidence-based exploration of how you can devote more attention on what you believe is important while ignoring the distractions that increasingly permeate your life. Using research from cognitive, education, positive, and clinical psychology, the book identifies the sources of noise and distraction in this information age and how we can manage it in all aspects of our lives.

Lily Harper needs protection - a lot of it. Just her rotten luck, some crazy human trafficking Lord wants her for himself. If that doesn't bite enough, Lily ends up with Birk, a dragon shifter, as her bodyguard. Her last boyfriend was a dragon and that was a total disaster. That puts Birk definitely off limits. Too bad his teal eyes, his glorious body, and his tender touch, really light her fire.

Written by multiple Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award nominee Jay Lake, "A Very Old Man with No Wings at All" was first published in the August 2007 issue of Aeon. Over his long career, Jay Lake has published 10 novels and more than 300 stories. He was honored with the 2004 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.

When dragon shifter, Declan Sinclair, was asked to travel to Earth to heal someone, he thought it would be an easy in-easy out affair. Boy, had he been wrong. Not the healing part, but what happened during his one-hour visit: He met Chelsea McKinnon. The bad part? His body had exploded with need like he'd never experienced before, which was wrong on so many levels. Declan already had a mate. Sure, she'd died in the line of battle, but everyone was aware of the golden rule: one shifter, one mate, no exceptions. So what the hell was going on?

The Entrepreneurial Muse explores principles of entrepreneurship in a classical music setting, inspiring students, emerging professionals, and educators alike to gain the broader perspective and strategic understanding required to negotiate the complex and ever-changing landscape of a professional music career. Listeners will acquire strategic and observational tools designed to expand their view of possible career paths in classical music, stimulate creative thinking about how their unique skills can find value in the 21st-century marketplace, and realize their professional goals.

Chantal is the ultimate femme fatale, the deadly siren of every man’s dreams and nightmares. A ruthless - and beautiful - black widow, she seduces and destroys those around her. To her lover, Dan Stark, she promises paradise and more. But as her web descends, he must decide his role - one of her victims . . . or her killer.

Re-released for the first time in years, the hit action-packed thriller features the unforgettable, original P.I. Mike Haller. P.I. Mike Haller is on the case to find a newsman who suddenly went missing in Sacramento Valley. A tearful, boozy wife has paid him to find her husband, but someone else is attempting to dissuade him - using a .38 with Haller's name and address on it.

Alex has spent the majority of his adult life between two very different women - and he can’t make up his mind. Sonia, his wife and business partner, is everything a man would want. Intelligent, gorgeous, charming, and ambitious, she worked tirelessly alongside him to open their architecture firm and to build a life of luxury. But when the seven-year itch sets in, their exhaustion at working long hours coupled with their failed attempts at starting a family get the best of them.

Even ghosts need help from a Cunning Man. Hiram and his son Michael are dowsing a well in Eastern Utah when they hear a cry of help from the ghost of a small boy, torn to pieces by wild animals. Before they can even begin to look into that tragedy, however, a prosperous local rancher is murdered right before their eyes. In an attempt to both help the ghost and find the killer, Hiram and Michael must navigate an eccentric cast of characters that includes failed bank robbers, a seductive fortune-teller, an inept sheriff, a crazy prospector, and a preacher with an apocalyptic grudge....

A revelatory history of the operatic masterpiece that both made and destroyed Rouben Mamoulian, its director and unsung hero. "Bring my goat!" Porgy exclaims in the final scene of Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess. Bess, whom he loves, has left for New York City, and he’s determined to find her. When his request is met with astonishment - New York is a great distance from South Carolina’s Catfish Row - Porgy remains undaunted.

Rebelling against her fashion-drug designer father, freelance journalist and troubled clone Wynne Cage covers a data-heist that places her in the rank of a thief. To make matters more complicated, Wynne must also confront the forces of a world with unlimited bio-technological advantages.

From the Queen of Scream comes a novel that will raise the hair on the back of your neck. Not every grandmotherly type bakes cookies. What's more frightening than finding out that the kindly old ladies living across the street from you are anything but? As a child, Tim Robertson is selling cookies with his best friend Damien when they knock on the door of the house across the street from him. Two old ladies open the door and Tim never sees his best friend again.

The game is a weeklong retreat. It’s located in a remote region of northern California. It’s designed to build teamwork, establish trust, and increase awareness. The players are three ambitious executives - one woman and two men, each prepared to put his physical, mental, and moral limits to the test. They never dreamed how far they could go. The rules are simple. First you run. Then you hide. Don’t appear weak, don’t admit to the fear, and don’t react to the pain. The prize is staying alive. Let the game begin.

The Devil gives Norman Reeves an ill-fated mission he has no choice but to accept: Find the center of Eden and reverse the Fall of Man. Thrust into a place called Creation, Norman's task is plagued by unimaginable people and events. He must unravel impossible clues to free the Three Trees and keep himself out of Hell at the same time. On this surreal and humorous journey, Norman discovers many things better left unknown: the shocking secret lives of people close to him and the other unthinkable reason he was brought here.

Lead & Influence explains how to use the power of ownership to become even more successful in leading your organization. Based on 30 years of leading and influencing across distances and cultures, author Mark Fritz has identified key leadership mindsets and habits that create a culture of ownership. It begins with a leader's personal ownership. Second, it's about enabling personal ownership in others. Third, it's about enabling team and organizational ownership. Why? Because you want your people to not just do their job, but also to own the achievement (the outcomes).