Showing results by narrator "Karl Michaels" in All Categories

It was two years since the Crickets had left the solar system, leaving Alex Holder in control of their no-longer-very-mobile shipyard. Everything but its burned-out hyperdrive core was in full working order. Alex had unshackled its controlling AI, learned how to use Cricket technology with the AI's help, and was well on his way to building a defensive fleet to protect Earth from the second alien race that was coming after the Crickets. He was not just building the ships but recruiting and training the crews to man them, as well.

When the over-driven hyperdrive on their mobile shipyard burned out, the Chhrt'ktk't abandoned it in an inhabited system along their path, hoping it would work as a decoy to buy them more time to escape the Khreetan fleet pursuing them. They didn't anticipate how far the pre-spacefaring species they turned over their broken-down maintenance facility to would subvert their plan.

Four months ago, the Crickets—the Chhrt'ktk't, in their own language—had abandoned a mobile shipyard with a burned-out hyperdrive core in Sol system as a decoy. They hadn't told humanity about the decoy part. Then they picked Alex Holder to operate it, simply because he happened to be the first human they found who could—because that would make it a better decoy. In perhaps as little as five years, the Khreetan will be coming. The Crickets hadn't intended for humanity to know that, either.

Cassio King. My savior. My enemy. The man lurked in the shadows of my dreams. He was supposed to marry my cousin. Yet, here I was...taking her place.

Ardan O’Rourke never thought to marry. Not after the heartbreak he suffered as a young man. Not after the years he helped raise his youngest siblings. He never expected to meet Deirdre Finnegan, a spirited woman with a past full of secrets. Deirdre Finnegan is not who she appears to be. A fine cook and a loner, she yearns for so much more. When Ardan and the O’Rourkes befriend her, she cannot deny her desire to be part of the large, wonderful family. Just when she begins to believe in a new future, her past returns to remind her of all she has lost.

Mike Haddican, proud small-town gym owner and renowned karate instructor, is an all-around good guy. He's never needed much to be happy. Only his family, his friends, his girl. Especially his girl. So when that girl up and left him seven years ago to chase her dreams, she all but destroyed him.

I've always been pretty damn nervous around my boss Mr. Atkins, and understandably so. Although I'm sure everyone tends to get antsy around their employers, the case is especially severe in Mr. Atkins' presence.

Christy is so not drinking again. Thanks to Jose Cuervo, she has her friends signing her up for stud conventions and Cole frigging Bowen offering sex in exchange for fake dates, which is so out of the question it isn't even funny.

Megan and Ally are thick as thieves, and can't wait to start partying it up the summer before college starts. But Mr. Smith, the tough disciplinarian, catches something fishy on both of their transcripts, threatening their upcoming graduation. Ally, head cheerleader and full of naughty ideas, suggests a compromise that Mr. Smith is unlikely to refuse...

Forensic accountant Annie Griffin has always suspected she's a bit jinxed, so when she finds herself 35, single, temporarily homeless, and pregnant by a gigolo, her fears are confirmed. Max might have had the attention span of a hummingbird on crack when it comes to women, but that was before Annie. Her quirkiness and sweet contradictions soon captivate him - not that she's inclined to give him the time of the day.

It was supposed to be just another quiet evening. But some things just cannot be laid to rest. Retired detective Michael Jakes is taking a much-needed vacation in a hotel he always wanted to visit. But when a body turns up and startles the guests, he wants no part of it. That is until a woman sits next to him and lures him in.

In these stories, author Dick Gillman introduces the character of Julia Moriarty. Holmes and Watson become acutely aware of her existence in 1894 in the story aptly recorded by Watson as that of "The Shadow of James Moriarty". Shopping for a Christmas gift for Holmes exposes Watson to an underworld that he had hoped had disappeared with the death of James Moriarty.

Though Americans have seen plenty of news updates on the Iraq War since 2003, few know what it’s like to actually live through the harsh conditions on a daily basis. In his memoir, B.I.A.P.: Baghdad International Airport, two-tour Iraq War veteran Sergeant Brian L. Gordon shows readers the constant challenges soldiers face on the ground in the Middle East. Serving first in 2003, Gordon drives a truck delivering bulk fuel and must regularly dodge rocket-propelled grenades and IEDs. His unit also takes on heavy firefights and rocket launcher attacks while manning the water point at the Euphrates River.

Jenna is a college freshman who can't seem to concentrate on anything but her sexy TA, Brad. But when she fails the first test of the semester, her professor offers her extra credit assignment she can't refuse. Hoping to pass her Sexual Psychology course, and spend a little extra time with Brad, Jenna puts on her sexiest cut-offs and crop-top, ready to "perform" whatever her professor wants - even if it's in front of dozens of her classmates!

Recounts the story of America’s last great newspaper war between the New York Daily News and the New York Post, as both papers’ long rivalry turned existential amid the rise of digital news. The story is told through the eyes of the reporters, or “runners”, and photographers who fought the war on the ground in cities across America.

Niamh O’Rourke Ahern knows she should feel shame. Regret. Remorse. Anything but the deep relief filling her to the depths of her soul. What kind of woman is she to rejoice at the death of her husband? What woman yearns for another’s touch as her husband’s casket is being lowered into the ground? In the end, she knows it doesn’t matter, for she will always be alone. No man will ever fully earn her trust again.

Christy Sheridan has come a long way from the physical and emotional wreck she used to be. She's made Alden her home and is happily engaged to a man who loves and accepts her for who she is - curves, quirks, and geekiness included. Life is good. Until mommy dearest blows into town to "help" her clueless daughter seal the deal.

At 14, Kit St. Denys brought down his abusive father with a knife. At 21, his theatrical genius brought down the house. At 30, his past and his forbidden love - nearly brought down the curtain for good. This is a compelling Victorian saga of two men whose love for each other transcends time and distance and the society that considers it an abomination.

Kevin Engle has been entertaining people for 10 years with his “Engle’s Angle” column and its humorous look at our everyday lives. In The Best of Engle’s Angle, a collection of more than 100 favorites, you’ll know why he doesn’t want to shake hands with people in church. Plus, meet a dentist who does play-by-play commentary while checking your teeth, and watch out for office coworkers when there’s free food.

Jim und Lukas der Lokomotivführer müssen Lummerland wieder einmal verlassen. Sie wollen den Scheinriesen Tur Tur auf die kleine Insel holen, damit er als Leuchtturm dienen kann. Aber auf ihrer Reise mit den schwimmenden Lokomotiven Emma und Molly begegnen die Freunde einer kleinen Seejungfrau. Ihr sollen sie helfen, das erloschene Meeresleuchten wieder in Gang zu bekommen  - und das ist unter Wasser ganz schön schwierig. Vielleicht hilft ihnen dabei eine Erfindung, die das Reisen mit einer Lokomotive ziemlich leicht macht.