Showing results by narrator "Laurel Laurel" in All Categories

Aging isn’t easy. But it can still be filled with joy—maybe even more joy than we expect. Alive Until You’re Dead offers a Zen approach to aging. Zen teacher and writer Susan Moon’s stories explore being present with what is, not turning away from what’s difficult, wishing for and working for the wellbeing of others, and being willing not to know what’s next. Moon writes of her most personal vulnerabilities in the service of connecting with everyone. These field notes from an old human being invite us to feel more alive in the final stretch, whatever it holds.

Secrets are revealed in more ways than one. The truth always has a way of revealing itself. What happens when everyone is hiding something from the other? When relationships and bonds are tested in more ways than one. Will these relationships end before they could fully start?

Once upon a time, I made a deal with the devil. It turns out I like playing in the dark. Over the years, I’ve become someone I’m proud of, someone dangerous. I’ll never be as dangerous as Malone, though. She’s one of the most feared leaders in Carver City, and her reputation is more than earned.

Berlin, 1936. The Landau family are at the heart of their community, running a music shop in Berlin and just trying to survive. But their lives are unravelling as Hitler's power increases and the treatment of Jewish families deteriorates. Eldest daughter, Rachel, fears for her sisters' future and will do anything she can to keep them safe. Will she find hope in the darkness? Paris, 1936. As whispers of war travel over from Europe, American debutante Kay escapes her mother's grasp and travels as a reluctant spy from Paris to Berlin.

Migration, terrorism, the tensions between global capitalism and nationalism, and a communications revolution: These forces shaped Joseph Conrad's destiny at the dawn of the 20th century. In this brilliant new interpretation of one of the great voices in modern literature, Maya Jasanoff reveals Conrad as a prophet of globalization. As an immigrant from Poland to England, and in travels from Malaya to Congo to the Caribbean, Conrad navigated an interconnected world and captured it in a literary oeuvre of extraordinary depth.

My idea of a good time used to be a rom-com and pint of ice cream. But when a lethally sexy fae king kidnaps me, that changes. I’m forced to compete in a deadly competition to become his queen. Now, my idea of a good time is surviving the day. The Court of Starlight and Darkness is a gorgeous place, but I can’t stay. The Ice King's eyes burn with heat each time he looks at me, and I burn right back. The problem? He's dangerous. The king has no idea I’m human, and if he finds out, I’m dead. My only choice is to compete until I find a way to escape—and survive until then.

Homeless teen turned prostitute turned elite call girl with some…unusual extracurricular activities was not what I’d set out to become, but survivors can’t be choosers. Now, I’ve got a life for myself, and I even like it most of the time, but a favor owed to my boss/ex-lover is about to mess all of that up. Her husband’s become a problem, and when the team of men she’s hired can’t seal the deal, I’m brought in for some assistance. When my present starts to collide a bit too much with my past, I’ve got to hope my skills are sharp enough to keep me in one piece.

Jackson Vale. My boss’s rival and the man I’ve thought far too much about since we were introduced last week. Of all the - “I’m not his,” I sputter indignantly. “I’m just his employee. He doesn’t own me.” And for some reason this sets off a flare of intensity and...satisfaction? in Jackson’s expression. That’s it, I officially give up trying to understand any of this. But then Jackson leans over and speaks so softly in my ear I can barely hear it above the falling rain.

Being more than a Daddy’s girl has always been the goal. Finding herself outside of being the baby proved itself to be the hardest thing. He seemed familiar. Something safe, someone she knew she could let her guard down around. A man that wasn’t just around because of what her last name could offer. The car she drove wasn’t the only thing that moved fast.

After a divorce and a thousand-mile move, Dr. Sloan Copeland and her twin daughters are finally getting the hang of their life in Los Angeles. When their live-in nanny bails with no warning, Sloan is left scrambling to find a competent caretaker to wrangle her smart, sensitive girls. Nothing less will do. Enter Rafe Whitcomb. He's all of those things, not to mention good-natured and one heck of a whiz in the kitchen. It doesn't take long for the Copelands to invite Rafe into their home, and just as quickly, both Sloan and Rafe find themselves succumbing to a heady mutual attraction.

Paradise-1. Earth’s first deep space colony. For thousands of people, it was an opportunity for a new life. Until it went dark. No communication has been received from the colony for months. And it falls to Firewatch inspector Alexandra Petrova and the crew of the Artemis to investigate. What they find is more horrifying than anything they could have imagined.

The first part of Willa Cather’s Great Plains trilogy, O Pioneers! follows the tragedies and triumphs of Alexandra Bergson, a strong and independent young woman who inherits the family farm following the death of her father.

Saving a damsel in distress was not in the description for these two first responders. The Trust and Honor series is full of suspense, action, and plenty of steamy heat that will have listeners devouring well into the night. If you love alpha males who will fight to save the women they love, then download this collection now!

You know that saying, to hell in a hand basket? That's where my life is headed. Three days ago, the Vampire Court learned about my forbidden FireSoul magic. It's basically a death sentence. Except they've made me a deal. I have to pass a series of trials, designed to test my magic and my loyalty. If I survive, I become an ally of the Court, which would be awesome. Problem is, the trials are as deadly as a hungry hellhound and I can't trust my partner, the sexy hybrid-vampire Ares.

Last week, I was a hotel maid who had no idea magic existed. Today, I’m the prisoner of a werewolf pack. I had to steal from them to save a friend, and now I’m behind bars. To make things more complicated, the werewolf alpha is my fated mate - and now he hates me for my betrayal. The attraction between us is off the charts, but it doesn't matter. His loyalty is to his pack. He would avoid me if he could, but he can't. When we're forced to work together to save his pack, it becomes clear that neither of us is going to escape with our hearts intact.

The Straight State is the most expansive study of the federal regulation of homosexuality yet written. Unearthing startling new evidence from the National Archives, Margot Canaday shows how the state systematically came to penalize homosexuality, giving rise to a regime of second-class citizenship that sexual minorities still live under today.

Well, I'm locked up in prison, and I've lost my magic. Not what I expected, to say the least. To make things worse, my husband locked me in here. "To have and to hold" doesn't necessarily apply when you're the king and queen of a fae court. A chance at freedom comes when our realm is attacked by an ancient enemy. Lore releases me to help defeat the evil that is devouring our kingdom, but it's going to be a dangerous battle. My only chance is to get my magic back, but that's easier said than done.

Since I was born, I was destined to be one thing - the Alpha’s mate. It should be every girl’s dream. Not mine, though. He’s too dark and damaged, and I’ve got a secret he can never know: I’m not a true wolf. Instead of waiting for him to figure out that I’m an abomination, I left on my 15th birthday. But I didn’t go far. No way in hell would I let him drive me from the town I love. Ten years later, I’m still hiding in plain sight. When I occasionally see him on the street - deadly, sexy, powerful - I just walk by. Keep my head down. Until that night.