Showing results by narrator "A. R. Smith" in All Categories

In the peace following the Great Mage Hunt, the king’s long-time mistress is revealed as a sorceress. Locked away for the safety of the kingdom, bounties are placed upon the heads of the seven children she birthed. Before they can be found by the kingdom’s mage hunters, the seven turn to in-fighting and murder, stealing each other’s magics to grow stronger. After the battle on the stone plains, only three of the mage-born bastards remain alive.

Rowan Headley tops the list of people I never wanted to see again. She shattered my best friend's heart, turning him into a shell of his former self. I hate her for what she did. But guess who my company's new hire is? Yep, the last person I expected - Rowan Headley. It's awkward, it's tense, but we have to put up with each other. Except the longer I'm around her, the less I feel like avoiding her.

In this Pocket Guide to Postmodernism, author Andrew Colgan, PhD, explores the fundamental premises and ideas of postmodernism by summarizing and interpreting Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault by Stephen Hicks, PhD. In his discussion of the philosophical foundations of this intellectual movement, Colgan presents a concise guide into the views of one of the most influential schools of the 20th century and its real-life consequences.

In Neil deGrasse Tyson's delightful journey through the cosmos, his fictional character Merlin responds to popular questions asked by adults and children alike. Merlin, a timeless visitor from Planet Omniscia in the Andromeda Galaxy, has observed first-hand many of the major scientific events of Earth's history. Merlin's friends include the most important scientific figures and explorers of all time - da Vinci, Magellan, Newton, Einstein and Hubble.

Richard Horn and Timothy Davenport met in the SEALs 20 years ago, and have been lovers ever since. Now running their own paramilitary organization, Strike Force Omega, they work in the shadows to protect their country and its people. When Tim falls for Eric Newton, a deadly sniper and strategist on their team, Richard accepts that Tim's heart is big enough for two men. He respects, admires, and even desires Eric enough, to accept him into their relationship - and their bed - but he's never been fully a part of what Eric and Tim share.

This is the number one secret to living your best life, and it’s the easiest thing you’ll ever do.... Are you fighting for the "good life", trying to break free from the rat race and push yourself into something more? More relaxation, time on the beach, travel the world, and make more money? You’re not alone. Actually, this is a life that nearly every single one of us is after, and yet in some ironic twist of fate, everybody has themselves convinced that to get there, you must work yourself to the bone.

I planned a daddy-daughter getaway in our family cabin. The last thing I expected was to run into Juniper—my brother's best friend. The smart thing would have been to go our separate ways, but Mother Nature had other plans. Thanks to some crazy weather we are stuck together for the foreseeable future. I’ve known Juniper for years, and I’ve never seen her more than my brother's best friend…until now.

Let's face it, the world these days can be very difficult to handle sometimes, especially if it starts to control you. This can get you down, leaving you stressed, worried, and anxious. But when you take back control, you will find positive things start to happen. You will feel your confidence and optimism returning - the real "you" starts to reappear - and you can enjoy life to the full again.

This collection of 11 stories spans virtually the whole of Tolstoy's creative life. While each is unique in form, as a group they are representative of his style, and touch on the central themes that surface in War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Stories as different as "The Snowstorm", "Lucerne", "The Diary of a Madman", and "The Devil" are grounded in autobiographical experience. They deal with journeys of self-discovery and the moral and religious thought that characterizes Tolstoy's works of criticism and philosophy.

In the peace following the Great Mage Hunt, the king's long-time mistress is revealed as a sorceress. Locked away for the safety of the kingdom, bounties are placed upon the heads of the seven children she birthed. Mage hunters have scoured the kingdom for four years, searching for the seven scattered mage-born bastards.

What is the nature of benevolence toward other people? How does it differ from altruism? Is it a major or minor virtue? How does it relate to the benevolent sense of life? David Kelley answers these questions in a groundbreaking work. Unrugged Individualism is the first philosophical analysis of benevolence from the Objectivist point of view, a major addition to the Objectivist ethics, and a convincing demonstration of the fertility of the system of ideas originated by Ayn Rand.

Vegas Duncan's release from prison is right on time for his older brother Junior's engagement to the voluptuous Sonya Brown. Unfortunately Junior's attempt at happiness comes to a screeching halt when Sonya's husband, the mysterious Brother X, and his army of Muslim hit men declare war on the Duncan clan. Duncan family patriarch LC Duncan has gone up against many foes in his time.

Ayn Rand’s novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged gave birth to a movement based on her philosophy of objectivism. In The Contested Legacy of Ayn Rand, philosopher David Kelley explains why he broke ranks with orthodox objectivists and created an independent branch of the movement. Originally published in 1990 as a manifesto, the work has been revised as an analysis of the principles of the intellectual collaboration, toleration, and responsibility. It is an engaging introduction to the objectivist movement, its core ideas, and its central fissures.

Detective Roese looked up, a strand of lank hair hanging across her face. Blood staining her bare hands and forearms, she kept her weight pitched forward, pressing down on the sucking chest wound, fighting desperately to prevent another tally on the list of recently deceased. “You can’t go out there. Best case, you never find him in the middle of all this. Worst, it’s a trap". Outcomes Reed had already considered and dismissed, his faith placed in the inky black K-9 partner by his side. “Even a ghost leaves a scent".

If you would like to get into a positive, faithful mind-set in this time of global fear, this is the most important book you will hear. The methods shared within have worked great for me and allowed my life to unfold without stress or worry. But I’m not suggesting that everyone who listens to this book is going to become calm or anxiety-free, as I don’t know how committed to creating a better life the people who listen to this are.

Six months have passed since the first murder investigation Detective Reed Mattox and his K-9 partner worked together, finding them in the throes of a steamy Midwestern summer, dealing with the usual increase in low-level crime that the hottest months tend to bring, when something unexpected happens. A body is found, and then another, and soon Reed and Billie are on the trail of a potential serial killer whose only pattern for his crimes seems to be no pattern at all. Battling against the heat and the clock, the K-9 team must sort through the crimes to identify a common thread that ties them all together. If they can, they may be able to stop the murders.

As the bassist for the band Caged, the last three years have been one, long non-stop party. Sure, I've had some regrets. Everyone does. But getting trapped in a relationship isn't one of them. I know good and well what happens when the attraction fades. I've seen it firsthand. Love is a zero sum game, so why play? As long as I'm upfront about my feelings, no one gets hurt. Besides, I'm never in one place long enough to worry about tomorrow. That is, until the band decided to take an extended hiatus in our hometown. That's when I met Melody Sullivan.

Alone on the couch one night, Reed and his partner are both summoned to the hospital to find two of their colleagues have been viciously attacked, left for dead on the side of the road with very little evidence to go on. With emotions high and the entire department vowing revenge, Captain Grimes assigns the case to Reed and Billie, offering them any resources available in finding the culprit. What at first seemed just an isolated incident soon begins to spiral as more bodies are found.

Do you wish you could lead a mindful life where you're completely present for yourself, completely aware of what you're doing and not reactive to the noise and distractions of your surroundings? No matter where you lie on the spectrum of life, mindfulness is always the end goal - and it should be. The good news is that you can be mindful regardless of how busy your schedule is: all you need is a few minutes to find quietude and joy in your frantic life.

When he graduates with his law degree, handsome and charismatic Langston Hudson is ready to hit the ground running as a lawyer with his family's firm, but a routine traffic stop during a night out with his friends quickly derails his plans and turns his world upside down. Langston and his friends are arrested after officers find half a million dollars' worth of drugs in his car. When Jacqueline Hudson learns of her son's arrest, she immediately begins to build her case. She is one of the top lawyers in the country, with a reputation for being a shark in the courtrooms.