Showing results by narrator "Libby McKnight" in All Categories

What do we see when we watch reality television? Sociologist and TV lover Danielle J. Lindemann takes a long, hard look in the “funhouse mirror” of this genre, from countless rose ceremonies on The Bachelor to the White House and more (so much more!). Beginning with the first episodes of The Real World, reality TV has not only remade our entertainment and cultural landscape—it also uniquely refracts our everyday experiences and social topography.

Barlowe Theater stole the life of Greta Mercy’s eldest brother during its construction. Now in 1915, the completed theater appears every bit as deadly. When Greta’s younger brother goes missing after breaking into the building, Greta engages the assistance of a local police officer to help her unveil the already ghostly secrets of the theater. But when help comes from an unlikely source, Greta decides that to save her family she must uncover the evil that haunts the theater and put its threat to rest.

Cary Mackin is a TV journalist who has covered crime for nearly 20 years. After losing her job, she moves to a small town in Connecticut - only to get caught up in the web of a deranged serial killer. Cary has a dark secret that drives everything she does: a deep-seated, lifelong fear that one day she will be murdered. As the madman Cary stumbled upon continues to terrorize the beautiful countryside where she now resides, will her premonition come true?

What happens when fiction becomes reality? In the corruption-infested Queen City, danger lurks in every shadow, but Lydia Pelton refuses to stay silent. She writes under a pseudonym, E. A. Dupin, crafting crime novels to exact justice and right the wrongs she sees in society. When a serial killer decides to be the sword to her pen, Lydia is confronted with the consequences of her words. Four men are dead, and the city blames her.

After the death of their parents during the Hard Winter, Margaret and her sister have struggled to survive. Between her mother's dying wish that Margaret protect her sister, and the nagging sensation that they are not alone, guilt and worry are her constant companions. And if someone is following them, is their watcher friend or foe?

Irrepressible dreamer Chloe Vance needs to tell her pragmatic mom, Edie, that she has accepted a low-paying, two-year art instructor role at a Christian international school in Prague. And her older sister, Lauren—the "responsible one"—is doing all she can to keep the family from finding out she has been fired for a stupid mistake, plus figure out her next career move. Meanwhile, Edie, estranged from her own sister following their mother's recent death, is frankly in no mood for anything else to change.

Calabasas is a quiet, well-to-do California town often referred to as “The Bubble”. But on September 25th, 2007, that bubble burst with the murder of one of its longtime residents - high school math teacher Hadas Winnick. The upscale community was rocked by her gruesome death, but as shocking as the tragedy seemed, the years of abuse she faced that preceded it were more so. Even more devastating still, was the effort and time it took to sentence her murderer to prison, and the power that our systems-in-place allowed him while on his way there.

It came out of the blue. A half-million dollars on graduation day. For Annie Daisy Clark, it was the capital she needed to start a business. Vowing to pay back every penny of it one day, she kept the bag of cash she’d found, and never looked back. Ten years later, Annie’s investment has paid off. The owner of a successful chain of elegant coffee bars, she is blissfully engaged and about to return to Boston for her ten-year college reunion. She also begins making good on her promise. But just as Annie’s life seems complete, the dark history of the money returns to haunt her.

Former Army brat Molly Owens is happily settling into her new life in the seaside town of Britton Bay - and into new her job as editor-in-chief of the local paper. But as tourists discover the desirable spot, the tide along the Oregon Coast is turning. Britton Bay is buzzing with preparations for a wedding at the bed-and-breakfast where Molly rents a small carriage home. Molly is even helping out and plans to interview the rising star caterer - until the woman is found dead. And then the bride-to-be goes missing.

As editor-in-chief of the Britton Bay Bulletin, Molly steps in for a sick reporter to cover the Classic Car Crawl, an exhibit of vintage automobiles. Her main challenge is not being driven to distraction by the presence of her hunky boyfriend, Sam. But when she and Sam discover the co-founder dead in his car, Molly quickly shifts gears to solve the murder. With a showroom full of suspects - including the co-founder's longtime partner, much-younger wife, enigmatic ex, and car owners with grudges and grievances - Molly soon starts to feel like she's spinning her wheels.

After her widowed father remarries, nineteen-year-old Clara Bender is no longer needed to help run his household. Marriage seems like her best hope of moving out, but there are few young men in her tiny Indiana Amish community. When she comes across letters from her mother's aunt Ella Mae Zook, she sets off to visit Lancaster County's Hickory Hollow to decide where her future lies. Ella Mae is not quite ready to move from the farmhouse where she and her recently deceased husband many years, but her children are eager to resettle her, making Clara's visit seem like an answer to prayer.

Annie Fox will stop at nothing to serve her country. But what happens when her country fails her? In November 1941, Annie Fox, an Army nurse, is transferred to Hickam Field, an air force base in Honolulu. The others on her transport plane are thrilled to work in paradise, but Annie sees her new duty station as the Army's way of holding the door open to her retirement. But serving her country is her calling and she will go wherever she is told.

Her only daughter has just gone away to college, and Maggie O'Farrell knows she's turning into one of those helicopter parents she used to mock. But Maggie can't shake the feeling that something terrible is about to happen to Emma. And then, just as Maggie starts to relax, her daughter disappears. The clues are disturbing. An empty dorm room where Emma was supposedly living. A mysterious boy described as Future Husband in her phone. Dormmates who seem more sinister than friendly.

Sierra Coleman awakens from a horrific crash, her mind a blank slate. But as she claws her way back to reality, she discovers her amnesia is just the tip of a sinister iceberg. Every "truth" she uncovers is another lie, every ally a potential enemy. With a daughter she can't remember and a life she doesn't recognize, Sierra is thrust into a high-stakes game of cat and mouse. As bodies pile up and shocking betrayals come to light, she realizes the key to her survival lies buried in her forgotten past.

When widowed Washington, D.C., socialite Edith Bolling meets President Woodrow Wilson, the attraction is immediate. A whirlwind romance results in a proposal of marriage, which Edith happily accepts—along with the important role of First Lady. By the end of the Great War, Edith is accompanying her husband to Europe for peace talks, meeting heads of state and dealing with foreign affairs. But something is wrong with Woodrow. During several meetings, he seems to lose concentration and looks confused, leaving her to manage on her own.

Pre-K teacher Faith Roberts is running away from a sinister past that left her mostly broken but held together only by her strong faith in God. Charles Meredith, her abusive ex-fiancé can't accept she is gone. He continues to delusionally believe she still loves him. He found her new hometown and secretly watches her every move. As Faith fearfully starts her new life, she becomes acquainted with the handsome new officer, named Ryan Madsen, who protects the school she is teaching at. Ryan is hiding behind an emotional wall caused by the pains of his past.

Everything is going smoothly as Emma prepares for the grand opening of the spa. The therapy rooms are painted. The sales shop and café are stocked with meditative and delicious goodies, from essential oils to avocado masks and prickly pear massages. The fountain in the Courtyard of Peace is burbling with good vibrations. In fact, there isn’t a whiff of trouble until that morning when Emma is shocked to learn that a rival spa owner has been bludgeoned . . . with an item from the goodwill basket Emma gave her. Worse, a witness is pointing the finger at Emma.

Play It Forward features twenty‑five inspirational stories of badass women from all corners of the sports universe, curated by TOGETHXR, a sports media companyfounded by legends Sue Bird, Alex Morgan, Simone Manuel, and Chloe Kim. From profiles of professional athletes and Olympians at the top of their game to everyday women putting in the work without a crowd, these are true tales of fierce competitors, dedicated teammates, and passionate advocates who are all too accustomed to hearing the word “no.”

In Hawaii to research a mass murder, Daphne Dockery seeks out the lead detective on the case. Kenneth Kealoha is glad to help—and eager to get to know her better. They’re exploring their instant connection when Daphne realizes that she’s being followed. Has an obsessed fan tracked her to the island, or has the monster Ken is hunting chosen her as his next victim?

Growing up in the 1920s on a dirt-poor farm in North Dakota, Mary Sherman's life was filled with chores—until she finally began school and discovered she loved to learn. Mary excelled at science, especially chemistry, and leaped at the chance to work in a laboratory during World War II designing rocket fuels. And when the US decided to enter the space race, Mary was chosen over her male colleagues to create the fuel to launch a rocket carrying America's first satellite.