Showing results by narrator "Joe Hempel" in All Categories

There's No Place Like Home. Kim and Julian Taylor are in the market for their first home, and a visit to the secluded Beacon estate finds them enamored. It's a peculiar home, rather large and in need of some renovations. The price is right however, and after a tour, they snap the house up without hesitation. The man who sells them the house has one last detail to share before they sign on the dotted line. The previous owners of the home disappeared under mysterious circumstances nearly eight years ago and have recently been declared dead in absentia.

Tanner thought church camp would be boring. That this summer would be forgettable, uneventful, and lifeless. Then, he was surprised to make two friends, both of whom share his interests and anxieties. Together, maybe the three of them have a chance of surviving this long, hot summer. But all is not what it seems at Creston Camps.

Ghosts wreak havoc in the streets of Duck Falls, and Lilian Roth has gone underground, hiding in the Laramies' backyard bunker. With the town under military quarantine, the death toll continues to rise. And Hedgewood's massive infrasound array stands to wipe out every "ethereal" within its radius, Ben Laramie and his friends at the Temple among them. Setting the ethereals free from Ghostland was only the beginning for Rex Garrote. He's returned to the remains of his house to tear open the Dark Rift and unleash its nightmare creatures upon the world.

After a long and brutal conflict, the war is over. Otto controls all the portals on the continent, and Garenland has made vassals of the other kingdoms. But some people can’t accept defeat. While Otto hunts King Villares in Rolan, Axel chases Prince Uther across Straken. With Markane scheming to help their enemies, the future of the New Garen Empire is far from certain. Even worse, the Wizards Guild is challenging Otto for leadership of the empire’s wizards, and they’ll use any means necessary to win. The war may be over, but the battles are far from won.

It doesn't seem like the perfect house, but screw it, it's good enough to rent for a year. Unfortunately for Boyd, Adeline, and their two young daughters, it's immediately clear they chose the wrong place. The nightmare begins with violent coughs and headaches. Food starts to rot almost as soon as they take it inside. A pet tarantula goes missing. Some family members begin to exhibit creepy behavior. Then the ghosts arrive, and all hell breaks loose....

His job’s at stake, but she may prove to be an even bigger technical threat to his heart. Tarron has met his match with a ruthless cyberhacker who has a personal vendetta against the Raglan. When she breeches Westin Force’s security Tarron must move in to stop her. That proves easier said than done when his Nonna steps up to help and meddle in his love life.

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.

Conversation Tactics, Book 3 focuses on the subtle and nuanced tactics that will allow you to command any social situation. I'll shine a light onto the secrets of those that can own a room, always have a witty reply, and are never caught without just the right thing to say. I want this book to arm you with definitive tactics, maneuvers, and replies to whatever comes your way in a conversation.

It isn't enough to keep the Finch family in Twin Falls, caged in by the conspiracy of cults and the elder gods they kill and dance for. The Twelve families want more. They want more power, more control, and to build a foothold for their legacies on Earth. When the Murphy family lost a young son to the Abrahamson family in the battle versus the alien god Knife Eyes they demanded justice, but the council said no. So in service to the ancient god Danu, they seek to usurp the very genetic line of Diggory Finch to amplify their control over the machinations of Twin Falls.

Celebrating the persistence of Turtle Power Raise Some Shell critically and cleverly examines the origins, evolution, and impact of the Ninja Turtles phenomenon―from its beginning as a self-published black-and-white comic book in 1984, through its transformation into a worldwide transmedia phenomenon by the middle of the 1990s, and up to the sale of the property to Nickelodeon in 2009 and relaunch of the Turtles with new comics, cartoons, and a big-budget Hollywood film.

The end of physical life does not have to mean the end of a day-to-day relationship with the people we love. Renowned medium Patrick Mathews reveals that we don't have to let go of family and friends on the other side - in fact, they benefit as much from ongoing communication as we do.

A deserted R&D facility tempts the hungry new Guild, Leviathan, into sending a team to plunder its valuable research. The base was abandoned after a neighboring planet was devastated by an outbreak of Xenos-alien zombies—but that was a whole planet away. When the Guild ship is attacked by a quarantine patrol, both ships crash onto the deserted world. Only it isn't as deserted as they hope: a murderous new Xeno threat awakens, desperate to escape the planet. Can the crews cooperate to destroy this new foe? Will they be forced to sacrifice their ships and lives to protect the galaxy?

Laugh Tactics is full of strategies that dissect, break down, and analyze all of the types of humor that you'll encounter in daily conversation - stuff you can really use with people you talk to. We're not all trying to become standup comedians, and this isn't a book about ha-ha jokes with setups and punch lines. Learn to simply make a better impression on people, put them at ease, charm them, and make them smile with you.

As old age creeps at the edges of his life, Papa Marco drudges one day into the next until a single shout rekindles memories of who and what he is. Hidden by his shaggy gray mane, a forgotten strength remembered becomes the kindling that will set the Frontier ablaze on a path to war. With each battlefield win, the leader Marco once was becomes the signal fire to rally scattered colonial forces in a push to reclaim their freedom. Rising out of the ashes of the Exodus Wars, their enemy will stop at nothing to silence their victory cries in the cold dark void.

Are you ready for war? An unparalleled genius, Luke Titan managed to fool his colleagues and superiors, creating havoc and death throughout the FBI. Now, he sits atop the FBI's Most Wanted List while his former partners, Tommy Phillips and Christian Windsor, lie in hospital beds. The fight isn't over. Luke Titan wants to watch the world burn, and he wants Christian at the heart of the fire. Hiring a sadistic gun runner, Titan declares war on the entire FBI...giving Christian the only chance to end his carnage. Christian must do an unthinkable act, then Titan will turn himself in.

Lee's parents and their business partner, Gordon, found a class A habitable planet. They thought their quest as explorers was over and they'd live a life of ease. But before they could return and register their claim, Lee's parents died doing a survey of the surface. That left Lee two-thirds owner of the claim and their partner Gordon obligated by his word with her parents to raise Lee. She had grown up aboard the ship with her uncle Gordon and he was the only family she'd ever known. Him adopting her was an obvious arrangement to them.

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.

Success isn't just about talent or intelligence—it requires a powerful mindset and unwavering willpower. In Do The Hard Things First: Master Self-Control, renowned Personal Development Leader and Mindset Optimization Strategist, Scott Allan, presents a proven framework to overcome immediate gratification, conquer compulsive behavior, and cultivate the habits of self-control.

When Comet Press put out the call for submissions for Stiff Things, we said we were ready to ratchet up the eroticism and visceral intensity with hardcore stories that penetrate new depths of psychosexual horror. But we weren't as ready as we thought we were for the extreme stuff that came flooding in on waves of blood and other bodily fluids we won't mention here. Not that we're complaining. In other words, we got what we wished for...and more.

After striking out on her own as a teen mom, Madi Price is forced to return to her hometown of Brandywine, Virginia, with her seventeen-year-old daughter. With nothing to her name, she scrapes together a living as a palm reader at the local farmers market. It’s there that she connects with old high school flame Henry McCabe, now a reclusive local fisherman whose infant son, Skyler, went missing five years ago. Everyone in town is sure Skyler is dead, but when Madi reads Henry’s palm, she’s haunted by strange and disturbing visions that suggest otherwise.