Showing results by narrator "Joe Hempel" in All Categories

My life was on track. The plan? Finish my MBA. Get out of the hotel. Finally date James, my manager. With only three months left, everything was set. Then he walked in. What I thought was just a difficult guest toppled my life in ways for which I didn't plan. He was an asshole, demanding, and more alluring than should be legal. I had a path. He destroyed it. What now?

Bertram Stone is a former Texas Ranger running from the changes of an ever-evolving world. Horses were being replaced by cars. Laws were changing how Bertram could deliver justice. Wanting to live out his golden years in peace, Stone flees to the quiet town of Hamilton, Texas, where he becomes the local sheriff. In a small town where the law rarely needs enforcing, everything is going according to his plan—until a great evil plunges Hamilton into horror.

Four brand-new horror novellas all about books, stories, manuscripts—the written word has never had sharper teeth. In The Skin of Her Teeth, a cursed novel drives people to their deaths. A delivery job turns deadly in The Dark Brothers' Last Ride. In This Book Belongs to Olo, a lonely child has dangerous control over an usual pop-up book. A choose-your-own adventure game spirals into an uncanny reality in The Story. Full of creepy suspense, these collected novellas are perfect for fans of Paul Tremblay, Stephen King, and Joe Hill.

Bart is 30. He is bald. He is overweight. He wears glasses. He is a fry cook. He hates cats. And kids. Bart occasionally does very bad things. He is looking for his perfect match. He has done his research.

When struggling concert pianist Emil inherits a house from his late uncle, he thinks all of his problems are solved. Absconding to the mysterious Weatherby House in the suburbs of Portland where his famous uncle composed many classical masterpieces, Emil finds the place completely empty, save for one thing: his uncle's grand piano.

Things are going from bad to worse in The Five Kingdoms as the cult of Ardent Lilly works to cause chaos and build a massive demon army. With so many lives at stake and despite his hopes to the contrary, Danny finds himself drawn deeper into the fight. And the first thing he has to do? Rescue the woman who betrayed and murdered him. Once Lyra is safe, it’s a race to defeat the leaders of the cult before they can bring their plans to fruition. With the Fate of The Five Kingdoms resting in the balance, can this former Marine defeat Ardent Lilly’s cult once and for all?

Noah: I have it all - money, looks, and any woman I want. Till I meet her and my universe is knocked on its ass and she wants nothing to do with me. Kaleigh: My motto: never date the same man twice. I have less chance of breaking my heart that way. Till my eyes land on the only man I'll break my rule for. She thinks she can run. That I'll let her get away. He thinks he can handle a woman like me. He has no idea. A man who has it all needs one thing and one thing only. A temptress.

The cult may be gone, but an even greater threat looms. The red sea from Elysian Garden is spreading relentlessly, threatening to consume the town—and ultimately, the world. As the crimson plague inches closer, the townsfolk must unite for a final, desperate attempt to halt its advance. They will either find a way out, or die trying.

With the Chamber of Eternity secure, Otto must now recover the second piece of the Immortality Engine. But that task will be far from easy. For the second piece, The Heart of Alchemy, lies far to the east in the fabled Celestial Empire. Assassins, undead, monstrous beasts, and demon worshippers all stand between Otto and his prize. And even more daunting, Valtan, the last living arcane lord, is determined to stop him. The cost be damned. Can Otto overcome the forces arrayed against him and take the next step down the road to immortality?

This year brings 22 more in-your-face stories that break boundaries and trash taboos, transgressive tales you can't "unread" (as Chuck Palahniuk says). Some of the stories you'll find here are loaded with very graphic descriptions of violence, sex, and depravities, while others may contain only one shocking moment of brutality. In others, the hardcore aspect may be less graphic and subtler than you might expect. Some of these quieter tales offer the listener some time to recover from the more disturbing ones preceding.

The move into 889 Morgan Road was supposed to be a fresh start for Joseph Dubois and his family. What they got instead was a nightmare. At night, guttural noises issue from behind the walls, and the family reports seeing a terrifying figure wandering the premises. Desperately seeking someone with experience in supernatural matters, Joseph calls upon his uncle, Marcel. Retired surgeon Marcel Dubois has a special gift: The ability to communicate with his dead wife. Harnessing this gift allows him to plumb the depths of the afterlife and to confront the paranormal.

For the four years Kaitlyn has been at Archibald Reynolds College, she has been watched over and cared for without question by each and every member of Delta Omega Gamma. Most don't even know why and they never ask. Now, she's about to graduate and leave the safe haven they've created for her. She can't go back home. She's not sure she can survive on her own in the human world. But it's time she stands on her own two feet. Scared and alone, Kaitlyn must face her life head on if she is ever going to rise above the demons of her past.

A group of boyhood friends in the summer of 1977. An annual rite of passage in a dark and alluring Pennsylvania wood. The channeling of a malevolent Presence. And a childhood game about to go terribly wrong.... Two brothers in the summer of 1995, reunited by the unspeakable nightmare of their past. A bewitching tavern proprietress and psychic intuitive from New Orleans. The revelation of an apocryphal prophesy.

The Aegis of Merlin Omnibus: Vol. 2 contains four complete novels: Escape the Dragon Czar, Wrath of the Dragon Czar, The Four Nations Tournament, and Death Incarnate.

With matters in The Five Kingdoms reasonably settled, Danny sets out for Elfhome. He hopes to make the trip quickly so he can begin his search for the secrets of the summoning spell that brought him to Valindor. Unfortunately, life seldom works out the way Danny would prefer and soon he finds himself mixed up in the search for the source of a deadly plague spreading through the area. No matter his preferences, with people dying by the hundreds, Danny can’t just ignore the problem and move on. Soon he finds himself investigating corrupt politicians, greedy merchants, and mad wizards.

Luke Larken gets the surprise of his life when his howl is returned while out on a run. He knows immediately it's his one true mate, and it's coming from Collier territory. His once rival and now friend Thomas Collier and his mate Lily are more than happy to help him with the hunt to find her. Coming face-to-face with her should be the greatest moment of his life but instead is met with contempt and prejudice. He doesn't know that when his predecessor split the packs, Luke's mate had her family broken in pieces.

Jenna Lockhardt has always been the perfect daughter. Being a princess means making sacrifices. Her responsibilities are clear. Keep the Royal lineage pure. Her future is set. She must take a compatible black panther as a mate. But a moment of rebellion has her transferring across the country to attend Archibald Reynolds College. Chase Westin always knew he'd find his one true mate.... someday. He never expected that someday to be now. When he returns to college, it's the last thing on his mind but the arrival of an exotic beauty stuns him. She captivates him. She drives him insane.

Hudson Guffey, top quarterback at Archibald Reynolds College, is being scouted by the NFL. He's hoping to be a solid draft pick this year, but first he has to graduate college. As the pressure mounts, he struggles to keep up with his classes when his full focus is on the field. When coach hirers a new student with a photographic memory to help with plays and stats, he makes it perfectly clear that she's off limits to the team.

Only 1 percent of the population is blessed with magic affinity at birth. Fewer still have high enough affinities to rule. Ian’s decemancy eclipses all, granting him ultimate control over Death. He conquers cities with a thought and turns them into ruins with a gesture. But overwhelming power isn’t enough to escape the time loop or reveal its purpose.

Justin is excited to start his new job at an energy mine on a distant planet—until things begin to go wrong. Small things. Annoying glitches in the mining complex's tech. Enough to aggravate him. Enough to notice a connection. When the first miner dies from a tech-related accident, Justin can no longer turn a blind eye. But the mine's brass don't want him digging for answers even though something from the mine's past is lurking beneath the surface...and it wants blood.