Showing results by narrator "Kirsten Potter" in All Categories

As part owner of the Silver Queen Saloon, Inez Stannert has observed the ruination that comes from yielding to temptation. Still, that knowledge hasn't stopped her from striking a backroom deal with upscale brothel madam Frisco Flo - a deal that Inez wagers will make her financially independent. But she begins to have second thoughts when the body of one of Flo's women is discovered and when she learns of another silent business partner - one whose identity Flo refuses to divulge.

Carlene Rivers is many things. Dutiful, reliable, kind. Lucky? Not so much. At 30, she’s living a stifling existence in Cleveland, Ohio. Then one day, Carlene buys a raffle ticket. The prize: a pub on the west coast of Ireland. Carlene is stunned when she wins. Everyone else is stunned when she actually goes. As soon as she arrives in Ballybeog, Carlene is smitten, not just by the town’s beguiling mix of ancient and modern but by the welcome she receives.

As a child, Linda Russell was left to raise herself in a 20-acre walled-off property in rural Washington. The woods were her home, and for 12 years she lived oblivious to a stark and terrible truth: Her mother had birthed her only to replace another daughter who died in a tragic accident years before. Then one day Linda witnesses something she wasn’t meant to see.

Public Defender Alex Stone is appointed to represent a homeless veteran who has confessed to the brutal murder of a prostitute. Alex is pressured to railroad the troubled vet straight to death row, but she believes he's innocent, despite his confession, and refuses to back down, putting her career...and her life...in deadly jeopardy.

Meet the Alter sisters - Lady, Vee, and Delph, three delightfully witty, complicated women who live together in their family's apartment on the Upper West Side. Though they love each other fiercely, being an Alter isn't easy. Bad luck is in their genes, passed down through the generations. But no matter what curves life throws at these siblings, they always have a wisecrack - and each other.

Heralding the arrival of a stunning new voice in American fiction, Robin Black's If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This takes readers into the minds and hearts of people navigating the unsettling transitions that life presents to us all.

A short-story magazine that assembles a thrilling new mix of stories from genres including horror, science fiction, comedy, and suspense. Buried at the heart of every story in the magazine is a unique artifact, an object that has inspired our storytellers to create a big idea, an irresistible question, a new immersive world, or a sense of wonder. Unearth your next great story with Assemble Artifacts.

Faith and love could cost them everything. When Rislène Namani meets Eric Hoffmann in 1994 France, the spark between them ignites a firestorm of trouble. She fears the repercussions from her staunchly Muslim family for her attraction to a Christian. Yet Eric captures her heart. More than that, his faith captures her soul - a faith she comes to embrace. And it all stirs up a wasps’ nest of danger, mystery, and love that could cost her everything, even her life. The risk is real, especially when Rislène’s family discovers her secret.

Love can be a very dangerous thing. At least it seems that way to Adri Pyper, the premier wedding planner in Sun Valley, Idaho. When one of her clients dies mysteriously, Adri takes the advice of the local detective and swears she will stay out of the investigation...this time.

The United States and China have struck a shocking bargain: In return for forgiving trillions in debt, the People's Republic of China - now the world's dominant global superpower - has established a permanent military presence on US soil. Years of decline have left America economically vulnerable, and evidence of China's cultural and political dominance is everywhere.

Forensic scientist Theresa MacLean is puzzled by the questionable death of a female construction worker at a Cleveland building site. A witness to the death - a young girl nicknamed Ghost - may be able to help. Ghost says the woman was pushed by someone she can only identify as the Shadow Man. Soon Theresa finds herself in a race against time to protect Ghost from an unknown killer before he is able to find the little girl and silence her for good.

It can be hard keeping secrets in a tight-knit neighbourhood. In a tranquil, leafy suburb of ordinary streets - one where everyone is polite and friendly - an anonymous note has been left at some of the houses. ‘I’m so sorry. My son has been getting into people’s houses. He’s broken into yours.’ Who is this boy, and what might he have uncovered? As whispers start to circulate, suspicion mounts. And when a missing local woman is found murdered, the tension reaches breaking point. Who killed her? Who knows more than they’re telling?

When Public defender Alex Stone wins an acquittal for her client, Dwayne Reed, accused of murdering a fellow drug dealer, Alex fears that Reed may murder an entire family in retribution for damaging testimony at his trial. If that weren't enough, the man she put it on the line for in court threatens to attack her lover, Dr. Bonnie Long. With surprising twists and gut-wrenching suspense, this riveting story will keep you on the edge of the precipice as you see just how far Alex will go to protect the innocent.

When Sir Sidney, a kindly old circus owner, becomes too tired to travel with his show, he places a Help Wanted ad in the newspaper. Enter Barnabas Brambles: "I have a degree in lion taming from the University of Piccadilly Circus." But does Leo the lion need taming? Will Elsa the elephant still get her gourmet peanuts? And what will Brambles say when he discovers Bert and Gert - two mice who travel with the circus on popcorn cleanup patrol?

When you find a dead man wrapped in plastic in the trunk of you Cadillac, you need more than a little luck. Much more. Avery Fish is on trial for mail fraud, but he didn't commit murder. In fact, he has absolutely no clue how a decapitated, plastic wrapped body ended up in the trunk of his caddy. Sexy, brilliant attorney Lou Mason has known Fish for years.

In the rough, shadowy hills of Appalachia, a nation carved from the United States following years of government infighting, Caitlyn and her companions are the prey in a terrifying hunt. They must outwit the relentless bounty hunters, skirt an oppressive, ever-watchful society, and find passage over the walls of Appalachia to reveal the dark secrets behind Caitlyn's existence and understand her father's betrayal.

The secrets of the past meet the shocks of the present. Aslaug is an unusual young woman. Her mother has brought her up in near isolation, teaching her about plants and nature, and language - but not about life. Especially not how she came to have her own life, and who her father might be. When Aslaug’s mother dies unexpectedly, everything changes. For Aslaug is a suspect in her mother’s death. And the more her story unravels, the more questions unfold. About the nature of Aslaug’s birth. About what she should do next. About whether divine miracles have truly happened.

In the summer of 1880, many people are traveling to the booming health resort of Manitou Springs, Colorado, at the foot of Pike’s Peak, to “chase the cure” for tuberculosis. But Inez Stannert, partowner of the Silver Queen Saloon in Leadville, travels for a different reason to this town renowned for its mineral springs and scenery.

'Just listen,' Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel. I open my eyes wide now. I sit up as much as I can. And I listen. 'Stay,' he says. Everybody has to make choices. Some might break you. For 17-year-old Mia, surrounded by a wonderful family, friends and a gorgeous boyfriend, decisions seem tough, but they're all about a future full of music and love, a future that's brimming with hope. But life can change in an instant.

In this incisive comedy, late 20-something Sammy Joyce, a hypochondriac, klutz, and jumper-to-conclusions, is in the White House as a health-care advisor to the newly elected administration. All her chips seem to be falling into place: she's living with her best friend and reveling in her romance with Charlie Lawton, an up-and-coming Washington Post reporter. However, soon after taking office, the administration finds itself deep in a red-hot scandal, and Charlie gets promoted to a job in New York.