Showing results by narrator "Stacy Gonzalez" in All Categories

Atop a hill in the rainforest of Belize, next to the ruins of a fallen civilization, a butterfly farm raises the brilliant blue morpho. What starts out as the worst vacation ever turns into a quest to learn more about the first-of-its-kind farm when journalist Diana Marcum inadvertently discovers this wildlife sanctuary, which is supported by an international live-butterfly trade.

Rosa Galvez’s attraction to Officer Wyatt Townsend is as powerful as the moon’s pull on the tides. But with her past, Rosa knows better than to act on her feelings. When Wyatt and his adorable son become Brambleberry House’s newest tenants, Rosa finds her resolve slipping. Her solo life slowly becomes a sun-filled family adventure - until dark secrets threaten to break like a summer storm.

When six book influencers take a weekend getaway to connect with their fellow creators, it’s meant to be a chance to relax, collaborate, and discuss all of the books they love. But from the start, something’s clearly amiss. From the host’s mysterious absence and an unexpected guest to an odd occurrence in town and the strange and worrisome behavior of the neighbors, what starts out as an innocent and lively vacation quickly becomes a weekend filled with terror.

Shadow bruja Ren Santiago was relentlessly pursued by the evil Aztec Lords of Night, who claimed that she was destined to be their queen, a destiny she wasn’t willing to accept. So she chose death instead. Too bad death wasn’t the answer to her problems. Ren soon realizes she must return to the land of the living to make things right. Unfortunately, that means negotiating with Ixtab, queen of the underworld.

Margot Ortega always struggled to be the princess in her own fairytale: a successful career, a huge salary, a gorgeous apartment, and a perfect fiancé. But on her wedding day, she suffers a major panic attack and has to call it off. Devastated and ashamed, Margot decides to drown her sufferings in a mad night of alcohol and dancing. The next day, she goes back to the sleazy club to retrieve her sister's cell phone and has a crazy encounter with David Sánchez, the handsome, fun-loving bartender who persuades her to pretend to be his new girlfriend in order to make his ex jealous.

Charles Henderson Chip Proctors life is filled with cash, supermodels, and success. Enjoying the fast lane of the wealthy elite, the prominent NY investment executive can't believe it when his brother and sister-in-law die in a car crash that makes him guardian of their children. And it just gets worse after he discovers his four-year-old niece and six-month-old nephew are the secret half-Fae heirs to an enchanted throne.

In his introduction, guest editor S. A. Cosby observes that writing short stories is “a special skill that combines brevity with wit and cleverness and the hint of the existential malaise that imbues crime fiction with its gravitas.” The stories in this collection overflow with gravitas in the most unexpected ways: a cryptic note left on a windshield, a murder for hire meets a game of Mouse Trap, a swipe right on a dating app goes horribly wrong.

I’m a Hero. Created to fight Chaos. Sworn to act as Zeus’ spear to avenge Olympus. And I need to fight harder. When death comes for those I love, I fight. And despite the radiant love of Apollo and the swelling love of Poseidon, I must find room to embrace war. That means getting close to Ares. To win a war you need allies you can trust and who trust each other. Apollo, Poseidon, and Ares don’t see eye to eye at the best of times. Throw my deepening love for each of them into the mix and it seems impossible.

Everything has been one elaborate lie. My name. My identity. My entire existence. Brody Harcourt exposed me as a fraud, turning me from a queen into a pariah. Now there will be hell to pay.

Dr. Estevez guides artists at all levels and in all disciplines to build a creative life that resonates deeply with their core values, and to cultivate an artistic practice that is joyful and sustainable. She shares her discoveries and insightful coaching exercises that stem from the belief that when we are connected to what resonates deeply within us, the "tortured artist" trope simply doesn't hold. By looking at creative work through a new lens, she provides us a mean to begin—or to begin again—in sustaining ways.

Apollo’s bright love is consuming, and the dark god Hades fills my dreams with lust and desire. Even though I’m torn between them, the sea god, Poseidon, surfaces to calm the chaos, except I’m falling for him. I’m living my new life on a sword’s edge, losing part of myself with each passing day. Trying to walk the fine line between my humanity and godhood is proving difficult. Heracles attempts to help me control my new power, and Ares insists I leap into the fight. All while the darkness is consuming souls with greater frequency. And I worry not even the gods can stop Death.

When ex-con Wes Calhoun moves into Brambleberry House, his neighbor Jenna Haynes gives him a wide berth. Widowed, and the former target of a stalker, the single mom errs on the side of extreme caution when it comes to men—and her heart. So Jenna vows to keep a neighborly distance. Until she needs help—and surly Wes comes to the rescue.

Just as parents can expect their children to encounter physical bumps, bruises, and injuries along the road to adulthood, emotional distress is also an unavoidable part of growing up. The sources of this distress range from toddlerhood to young adulthood, from the frustration of toilet training to the uncertainty of leaving home for the first time. This second edition of The Parents' Guide to Psychological First Aid brings together an array of experts to offer parental guidance in helping your child navigate and recover from the everyday stresses they will encounter growing up.

Heir apparent, young Prince Ahkin feels unprepared for leadership after his father's death. His royal blood controls the power of the sun, and he’s now responsible for the lives of all the Chicome people. Despite all Ahkin’s efforts, the sun is fading - and the end of the world may be near. For Mayana, the only daughter of the Chicome family whose blood controls the power of water, the old emperor’s death may mean that she's next. Ahkin must marry before ascending the throne, and Mayana is one of six noble daughters presented to him. Those who are not chosen will be sacrificed.

Tall, dark, and handsome. That’s what I think the first time I see Rupert Evans in the library. But then I find out he is the developer who just sent my community garden a cease-and-desist letter because he plans to raze the garden and construct some towering monstrosity there. The only one who is going to cease and desist is him. That community garden is my found family. But then he asks me out at book club night. Suspicious, right?

Chloe, Avery, and Madison can't wait to camp out in the backyard. It will be a night of telling scary stories and trading secrets while roasting marshmallows. Elijah, the kid next door, keeps trying to prank them, but it's all in good fun. Who doesn't like a little scare after the sun has set and the moonlight casts creepy shadows everywhere?

Emi Vargas, whose parents helped save the world, is tired of being told how lucky she is to have been born after the climate crisis. But following the public assassination of a dozen climate criminals, Emi’s mother, Kristina, disappears as a possible suspect, and Emi’s illusions of utopia are shattered. A determined Emi and her father, Larch, journey from their home in Nuuk, Greenland to New York City, now a lightly populated storm-surge outpost built from the ruins of the former metropolis. But they aren’t the only ones looking for Kristina.

DJ Parker is a Grade A Pr*ck… The guy struts around campus like he’s God’s gift to Wildcat football, but I know the truth. He’s arrogant, obnoxious, and terrible in bed. Two years ago, we hooked up and the only memorable thing about it was the fact that he called me the wrong name and ghosted me afterward. So when he moves in next door, who could blame me for wanting a little revenge? Too bad my prank didn’t go as planned. Now my gymnastics scholarship is on the line and I’m stuck playing Waverly’s mascot for the rest of the semester.

To celebrate the end of high school, Izzy Morales joins her best friend Kassidy and five friends on a luxury 1920s-themed getaway at the glamorous Ashwood Manor. There, Izzy and her friends party in vintage dresses and expensive diamonds - until Kassidy's boyfriend turns up dead. And when a raging storm traps them on the island with two detectives, the sparkling young socialites become the prime suspects in his murder. There's the girlfriend, and the other girl. The old friend, and the new friend. The brooding enigma. And then, there's Izzy - the girl who brought the knife.

Dragonfly Lake is the perfect place to hide while I find myself after years of being told who to be and who to love. The whole world has an opinion, and this once, I need to drown it all out before I lose myself completely.