Showing results by publisher "Podium Audio" in Literature & Fiction

The path to self-acceptance has always felt like an uphill battle for me. It's hard not to feel that way when the most important people in my life decided long ago they can't accept me as I am, that they don't want a gay son, a feminine son, a boy who likes pretty things. Caring for myself from a young age has come with a lot of hardships, but finding myself bruised, homeless, and sleeping in my car just about tops the list. Fortunately, the person I least expect offers to take me in and share his home with me.

I'm the rebel, the bad one. I follow no rules on the track or anywhere else. I'm the obnoxious bad boy the fans secretly root for. I don't mind playing my role. I'm good at it, and it pays to be the dark to his light. Until the good boy starts to get to me. I'm confused and unsure of what I want, when it was all so clear before. They say good always wins, but is that truly the case? In the race between the far-too-pretty good boy and the angry bad boy, who will actually win?

When Lori Hawthorne trades her high-powered city life for the unexpected inheritance of her late aunt's neglected fruit farm in Sedona, Arizona, she soon realizes that mending a broken orchard is only half the battle. Seeking a chance to rewrite her story, she's determined to breathe new life into both the farm and her own existence.

Once upon a time, I was a typical foster kid—overlooked, bounced around, and just waiting until I was old enough to get out. Some girls in my situation might dream of being a secret fairy princess, but not me. I simply wanted a chance. It came by accident when a bird flew into my latest home. No big deal, right? Except that was all it took to get noticed. Now I'm heading to Silver Oaks Institute, an elite private college with very specific acceptance criteria. My caseworker got me an interview on a technicality, and when they say elite, they mean it.

Years ago, Hadria Imperioli vanished after her father refused her mafia inheritance in favor of her younger brother. Now, she's resurfaced as Hades—ruthless leader of the Styx Syndicate mercenaries that terrorize Chicago—and she's hell-bent on finally claiming what's hers. When her brother announces his engagement to sheltered beauty Aurora Verderosa, Hadria decides it's time to take back her mafia crown and everything else that belongs to her... Including Aurora.

When my parents threatened to cut me off if I wasn't married by the time I turned 30, I thought finding a wife would be easy. But apparently, I'm not the best at dating, and almost two years later, I'm still very single. My birthday is coming up fast, and unless I want to give up the comfortable lifestyle I'm used to, I need to find someone willing to settle down quickly. I'm desperate and out of ideas, until my best friend suggests I apply for a new reality dating show.

The streets have been my home for as long as I can remember. To get by, I use my magic tricks, bringing smiles to the faces of adults and children alike. As a warlock, my powers are limited. Nothing like a witch's magical skills. Basically, I'm a glorified magician as well as a second-class citizen. Fine. It doesn't get me down. I have my cat Fizz and Kylie Minogue's music to keep me going as I dream big. I know there's a better life out there for me.

As if my life doesn't suck enough already, my insufferable new roommate, Miller MacAvoy, seems determined to make things weird. He watches me all the time, grinning at me like a beautiful idiot, eyes boring holes into me every time I turn my back on him. It's the last thing I need. Things haven't been going well. College isn't working out at all like I'd hoped. I'm drowning in debt, waiting tables every shift I can get, and falling behind on my studies. Something's got to give. I can't go on like this much longer.

When Evran's actions bring scandal upon his noble house, his father casts him out in the cruelest way imaginable—sending him to the dreaded Drakkari clan as tribute. To his people, the Drakkari are little more than bloodthirsty savages who rule the northern wastes, and Evran arrives at their...

I needed to get the hell out of Big City. The only reason I'm living in this American wasteland is because my mother insisted I reconcile with my estranged father. That the idea came to her while drunk on French bubbly should have been my sign to stay right where I belonged. Anywhere but here. Certainly somewhere more fabulous. When an international job opportunity arises, I jump on board. It's just a bonus that I'll be traveling with the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. Make that muscular, morally gray, and hopefully, my next conquest.

Nyssa Blacksea is tired of running from the Imperial regime that wants her dead. With a royal bargaining chip in hand, and freedom for her and Quinn finally within reach, Nyssa's ready to take the fight to the Empire's doorstep. She's armed with a desperate plan and a dangerous weapon: hope. But that hope is shattered when Quinn's nemesis, Ceril Anelos, strikes. Always a step ahead, his traitorous intentions soon become clear—master forbidden magick that has been locked away for centuries.

Broccoli and her closest friends have discovered a terrible plot...one that might spark a war between the Nesting Kingdom and the Kingdom of Sylphfree. It’s up to the three of them to cross an entire continent in order to reach Sylphfree and undo the machinations of Broccoli’s mysterious nemesis. Navigating such a grand distance won’t be easy, however, not with dastardly sky pirates, dangerous dungeons, and adorable new friends to distract the bunch along the way!

Sometimes things happen that test our resilience and our strength. My life was changed forever one fateful night last year when I lost my leg in an accident. It’s affected my independence and my confidence. But there is one thing—one person—that hasn’t changed, hasn’t wavered when life gets hard. Finn Ledger. He’s been my best friend since the moment we met in middle school. We’re grown now, with separate lives, but he still always manages to be there for me when I need him, even when circumstances try to wrench us apart. He always holds me when I need it and cares for me like no one else can.

Trapped in nightmares from my past, the only comfort I find is in gifts from the man who killed my mother's killer—presents wrapped in a body bag and delivered to the morgue for me to examine. From the first time I saw his mark, I knew I had to keep my killer safe, had to keep his work a secret for me and me alone. Every body is a love letter, and I'm the only one who can read them.

He's a bad man, and I don't mean trash like your ex. I mean seriously bad. I mean dangerous. You can tell just by looking at him: black eyes, a menacing scowl, and a nose that's been badly broken in the past. He is my arch-nemesis. My mortal enemy. My singular obsession. I was afraid of him when we met. He kidnapped and chained me to a bed. Me—Damon Alexander Beckett of BeckIT fame and fortune. Well, the joke's on him because I'm going to make it my life's mission to destroy him. But first, I have to survive being his captive.

Growing up, I was the problem child teachers didn't know what to do with. The troubled teen whose parents wished was never born. The system's made of cracks, and I fell through each and every one, all in a futile effort to protect the family legacy. They tried to fix me. Doctors… therapists… teachers… pastors... And they failed. Epically. Now, eighteen, and fresh out of Hell, I'm thrown into the last place I ever expected. Rehab. Enter Nolan Dresden. Newly divorced. A recovering alcoholic. Almost double my age.

I'm not a real beaver. I just play one for the Bloomburg Aspens. You'd be surprised how many times I need to clarify that. It's not a traditional job, but between my yoga studio and playing the beaver, it pays the bills. The beaver mascot gig also comes with one rule: Don't reveal my identity to anyone. Which wasn't a big deal until I met this guy at the bar. A hot guy with a shy smile and a huge… wood. Lukas Pine. A hockey player for the Bloomburg Aspens. He was only supposed to be a one-night stand, but we keep finding each other.

Two years ago, a human pilot was taken captive by the Alder—a ruthless and savage alien race. Now, it's my team's mission to rescue him. But when I'm saved by one of those "savages" and stranded with him in the jungle, everything I thought I knew starts to unravel. My team is my family, the only home I've ever known. Failing them isn't an option. But how can I resist Kitari, this mysterious and alluring alien who claims that I'm an "omega" and offers me something I've never had—a place to truly belong?

Jason loves his life as a stay-at-home dad, but being a divorced single father wasn't part of the plan. Besides his kids, pies are his passion. He makes and sells his creations at the Heartcraft Market, but it's not enough to live off of. After his father's recent health scare, Nico is determined to help revive their family diner. Then he meets Jason, whose pies are as sweet as he is, and an idea begins to form. Jason's kids are everything to him, but his bed feels empty at night. Nico has always wanted a family, but he has yet to find a man that he could build a life with.

Dakota's plan was simple: drive to Las Vegas, start her dream job at a luxury spa, and leave her old life behind. But when her ancient pickup breaks down in the middle of the Nevada desert, she's stranded, helpless, and alone. Enter Frankie, a charming cowgirl with a heart of gold and a big ranch to run. What starts as a desert rescue sparks into an unexpected connection neither of them saw coming.