Showing results by narrator "Matt HIcks" in All Categories

Four hundred years ago, in the time before the Godfall, the demon hordes were unleashed upon the world of Elaria. Now, the world has shrunk to one small valley, the Valley of Auld, humanity’s last bastion. All those within its walls are protected. Elian is markless—someone who cannot activate skills—and he is one of the poorest markless there is. A miner, forced to leave the city and toil in the nearby salt mines. On their way to and from the mines, the miners are kept secure in a locked wagon. The wagon is not locked to keep them from escaping. It’s locked to keep the demons from getting in.

The battle was won, but the price of victory was high. What should be a triumphant moment for the allied forces is marred by treachery, loss and worrying news from the south. Elder Vanarr is in trouble. The Host is a looming shadow, threatening to engulf everything that they hold dear, but it is far from the only threat. To survive, they will need to stand together, but petty Sect politics threaten to undermine the foundation of the alliance. The stakes are high, and failure is not an option.

Will has thrown himself into a new level of warfare. Using plausibility, Peace was able to fashion platinum-rank corruption, enough to kill everyone in the superdungeon. Nynn saved himself by tossing the effects of this bomb into the Beyond, which was good. This carried the potential of blowing up a solar-system-sized chunk of that plane, which was not. Will managed to seal the corruption within the tunnel his demon-bound skill formed, but then the demon itself got a bit loose and devoured far too much of the dark energy.

Lennox Perry is every crime lord’s worst nightmare. A member of the famed and prestigious Galactic Rangers, Lennox is charged with keeping the peace in a galaxy that is increasingly torn with tension. He's never failed to put the bad guys away, but his reckless, devil-may-care ways have earned him the wrath of his commanding officers. And yet, a grave threat to galaxy has the brass so scared, they willingly unleash him to find the answers. It’s up to Lennox and Anna—his distractingly beautiful partner—to uncover a hidden threat behind a series of domestic bombings that continue to escalate.

A modern ice age has all but stamped out human civilization and left the Earth nearly uninhabitable. For Ira Hartman and the dysfunctional band of survivors that surround her, all that’s left of the old world are ghosts trapped beneath the still forming ice sheets. Living in retrofitted tunnels beneath Riverside, California, scrounging for food, supplies, and desperately trying not to kill each other, things could be worse; but when an accident causes the generators powering their shelter’s heating system to be destroyed, hope seems to have run out.

Will stands on an asteroid that has now begun falling towards Earth, bearing a piece of a reality-tearing demon in the place of an eye. Down on the surface, otherworlders run amok, causing widespread damage across the globe. And to top it all off, even if the agitated demon has agreed to back off, its raw power was enough to drag a third planet into range of Earth. Will has two years to deal with the fires on his planet before another one hits it. It’s time the wider world realized who he is.

For Landon Sommers, the assignment seemed too simple. He just needed to hop on a private jet, fly to the Caribbean, and escort two children back to Montana. For Noel Lennox, a dedicated CPS social worker, this case was not typical but seemed easy. After all, there was no threat to the children she was tasked to monitor as they returned to Montana. When their straightforward mission takes a dangerous and unexpected turn, easy and boring are tossed out the window.

Poole stopped at an estate to check on the security installation. The side trip on his way toward his vacation destination was supposed to be simple. Then he met the electrician installing the system. Then he found her fascinating. Then he wanted to get to know her more. Then he spent the night with her when a sudden storm approached. Then he wanted to see her again when they parted ways. Yep… complicated. She ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time and now has a target on her back. Yep... dangerous.

Do you feel like you’ve lost control of your life? You have big dreams but you never seem to be able to just stick to the plan? Taking responsibility for your life and being on your own, without a boss or a coach to give you specific instruction, can easily feel overwhelming. It’s easy to feel distracted and lose sight of your objectives when it feels like you have all the time in the world. Here’s the big secret: Motivation is not enough! It’s never too late to cast away blame and procrastination and take full ownership of the unstoppable power of personal choice.

Noah's recent departure from Dunbar leads him into places unknown. With newly upgraded powers and items of his own creation, he must navigate a dangerous landscape, facing formidable foes while making unexpected allies. From the dark walls of Karak Hold, Noah mines to uncover unique ores. With his gains he'll develop advanced tools and machinery to improve what he creates. A lot can go wrong because with new levels and skills, comes additional danger.

Four hundred years ago, in the time before the Godfall, the demon hordes were unleashed upon the world of Elaria. Now, the world has shrunk to one small valley, the Valley of Auld, humanity’s last bastion. All those within its walls are protected. Elian is markless—someone who cannot activate skills—and he is one of the poorest markless there is. A miner, forced to leave the city and toil in the nearby salt mines. On their way to and from the mines, the miners are kept secure in a locked wagon. The wagon is not locked to keep them from escaping.

Former CIA operative…and computer geek. Josh's career path and job skills were varied. And he owned a house that looked like a Victorian dollhouse, complete with a WWII bunker in the backyard, right on the rocky coast of Maine. When a storm washes something unexpected onto his shore, he must rely on his fellow Keepers and put all his skills to work. Because if there’s one thing he knows, it's that he’ll do anything to keep his surprise safe.

Spending days on rescue missions when his Tennessee hometown flooded, he was stunned to meet up with an old friend. But dinner, drinks, talking, and laughing turned into a night he’d definitely remember fondly. But they’d promised one night only. Especially since they were both returning to their lives the next day.

Dolby had earned his down time, eager for the solitude. Then he met her. One innocent night with a beautiful woman as they sheltered from the storm, Dolby wanted a chance to know her more. But with the morning light, she was gone.

Carson Dyer spent years creating his business, partnering with a former special forces leader who owns the original LSI. Determined to make it as successful as possible, he gives 100 percent to the effort. No distractions. No way. Not him. Until her. Jeannie Carnes. Former military nurse. Burnt-out ER nurse. Volunteer Red Cross nurse. And she lands in the middle of an LSI-WC investigation of a cartel drug lord. She wants answers. He wants her safe. Will either of them get what they want? Only if they give in to what they need…each other.

There’s no denying that being a teacher is also becoming an increasingly tougher and stressful job. Not because of the kids, but because of the system and the other adults. You have to deal with never-ending new standards and admin expectations. You have to spend hours explaining to parents, who can’t accept their children being not academically perfect, why you can’t just pass their kid.

Chris Andrews needs to go home. A new job awaits. A new opportunity. A new chance to build better memories. The last time he was there, he buried his father. The time before that, they had argued over his joining the Navy. Now, he needs to go home to start anew. But getting there turns out to be an adventure once the stoic Chris meets free-spirit Stella for a cross-country adventure. She opens his eyes to the beauty she sees in the world around her.

The Secret Science of Games is an accessible and entertaining guide to the hidden role of science in making games more fun. User experience (UX) research is a vital part of the story of how video games have become a cultural juggernaut, but game developers generally don’t speak publicly about how data shapes game design and game development.

It’s a contest that has been brewing for centuries–immortal versus immortal! It’s a no-holds-barred war between me and my nemesis, The Widow. Our confrontation will determine the fate of parahumanity–and the entire world! But with my beautiful villainesses by my side, I know we will emerge triumphant. Our battles will take us across the globe, from Herald City to the Alps, and deep under London. Terrorist attacks, mad sorceresses, and doomsday plots–I’ll crush them all to see my vision for the future come to fruition.

Former Navy SEAL Logan Bishop was bored. He spent his post-SEAL days flying tourists on helicopter rides over the mountains of Montana and occasionally rescued skiers from snowy slopes when an injury resulted in early retirement.