Showing results by narrator "Jennifer Araya" in All Categories

Cue the accordions: Battle Lake, Minnesota, is kicking off October Fest with polka, sausage, and cold suds. The big inaugural event? A debate between two congressional hopefuls. One, stultifyingly sincere. The other, a foot-in-mouth tippler. Reporter Mira James is roped into covering their fighting words…and then a murder, when a relentless pit bull of a blogger is found dead at a motor lodge filled to capacity with fellow pundits, campaign entourages, and tourists—all of whom have just become suspects.

Summer in Battle Lake kicks off with fireworks and festivities, but it’s a local treasure hunt that’s amping up the tourist trade. It certainly piques the interest of part-time reporter Mira James—both as fodder for a column and because she could use the five grand in prize money. The treasure? A faux diamond hidden at the bottom of Whiskey Lake.

The Minnesota State Fair wows again with 4-H exhibits, rides, a Neil Diamond concert, and deep-fried everything on a stick. Covering it is a breezy assignment as fluffy as cotton candy for reporter Mira James, until the main attraction becomes murder.

It’s cold enough to freeze a shadow when Battle Lake local Tom Kicker braves the killer temps to bag a deer—only to get shot to death by his best buddy, Clive, in a hunting accident. Tragic, yes. Accident? Mira James, just a few weeks into working toward her PI license, isn’t so convinced.

This book first introduces gentelligence as a powerful business strategy, and shows why it is critical for the future of work. It then presents a practical guide and a call to action for leaders of all ages to unlock the potential strengths of each generation. Listeners will learn how an intergenerational workforce can be reframed as a profound business opportunity, and discover how gentelligence can help them win the talent war, create strong, diverse teams, and build adaptable cultures that will flourish in an era of rapid change.

Melody McIntyre, stage manager extraordinaire, has a plan for everything. What she doesn’t have? Success with love. Every time she falls for someone during a school performance, both the romance and the show end in catastrophe. So, Mel swears off love until their upcoming production of Les Mis is over. Of course, Mel didn’t count on Odile Rose, rising star in the acting world, auditioning for the spring performance. And she definitely didn’t expect Odile to be sweet and funny and care as much about the play’s success as Mel.

Callie Norris is the proud new owner of the Gulls Nest Bed-and-Breakfast in the picturesque fishing village of Pebble Cove. She's got everything she's always dreamed of: a found-family who supports her, a job she loves, and a boyfriend she's crazy about. Well, she's been avoiding her family, maintaining the reputation of one of the towns long-standing businesses is proving to be harder than she thought, and her boyfriend is acting distant. But things can't be sunshine and rainbows all the time, right?

Callie and the Gulls Nest are back in the spotlight when a high-profile guest books a room at the bed-and-breakfast. When the man doesn't show up for his reservation, Callie thinks it was too good to be true. Everyone is shocked when his body washes up in a dinghy the next morning.

In this frank and moving inside account, Zelenskyy’s former press secretary tells the story of his improbable rise from popular comedian to the president of Ukraine. Mendel had a front row seat to many of the key events preceding the 2022 Russian invasion. From attending meetings between Zelenskyy and Putin and other European leaders, visiting the front lines in Donbas, to fielding press inquiries after the infamous phone calls between Donald Trump and Zelenskyy that led to Trump’s first impeachment.

When his sister is kidnapped, rancher Cade McNeal will do anything to prevent his baby nephew from being next. Now Officer Ashley Hanson and her K-9 partner are on the case, and it's up to them to track down the assailant and keep Cade and his nephew from harm. But as the suspect list grows and the attacks escalate, will they bring a kidnapper to justice...before he strikes again?

I never wanted to lie to her, but I knew I couldn't keep her safe if she knew. I hurt her, more than I ever wanted to and I have to live with that each day that I'm away from her. But one day she'll know, that every day spent away from her was hell. Watching her move on. Watching her change. But it will all be worth it once she's safe. Even if she doesn't know it, she is my Rapture.

When Mary’s mom walked out on them, her dad started drinking and never stopped. The one bright spot in her miserable childhood was a charity called Sub-for-Santa. It restored her faith in magic and brought hope and love into their home. She’s run the program as an adult for nearly a decade to bring the same joy to children all over Atlanta.

The people of Pebble Cove are thrown into a forced hibernation when the worst snowstorm in a decade hits the Oregon Coast. They expect to find damages once the snow thaws, but a frozen body down by the pier comes as a terrible surprise. Rosemary is keeping warm with an abundance of chai tea, wooly sweaters, and further research into Asher’s past. But when a second body is found, she can’t deny the chilling thoughts that the two deaths might be connected. Or that this might not be the end.

Pebble Cove residents were wary of the new commune at The Pines, even before someone ended up dead. Rosemary is excited to cater her first event at the newly opened commune’s full moon festival. When a young woman is found murdered in her yurt, it’s clear these rich wannabe hippies aren’t as peaceful as they pretend.

Now, I really did mean to keep my mouth shut. I was going to be the perfect, quiet, well-heeled fiancé. But since I am neither well-heeled nor a fiancé, it was only a matter of time before I would mess up even with the best intentions. Breakfast with the Somersets was about as much fun as Russian roulette. Between the evil sneers, rotten barbed comments, and just plain condescendence, it was hard to get my good eat on, despite the lavish spread.

Emily Hawthorne lives in the well-heeled Noe Valley of San Francisco…but just barely. With less work than she would like at the yoga studio, a pile of debt, and a fraught past, she can no longer afford her tiny condo. When she meets the charming Penelope “Pip” Stone and her young daughter, also beset by financial woes, she agrees to take them in as roommates. But Emily’s stroke of luck turns out to be another twist of the knife: Pip is a professional squatter who has no intention of paying rent. And Pip doesn’t want to share the condo.

This book helps you be the biggest, boldest, and most powerful version of your teacher self. It reminds you why you became a teacher and coaches you to bring your unique gifts and talents into the classroom. The difference between a so-so lesson and one that leaves a lasting impact on students has everything to do with how confident and connected you feel to yourself and your students.

Psychology student Olivia Eriksen’s family is notorious among true-crime buffs. Faced with a legacy of psychopathy that spans generations, Olivia has spent much of her academic life trying to answer one chilling question: Nature or nurture? Although she’s kept a safe distance from her blood relatives for years, Olivia agrees to attend a weekend reunion. After all, her fiancé is eager to meet his future in-laws, and the gathering may give her a chance to interview her elusive grandfather about the family traits.

The people of Stoneybrook are worried when billionaire Victoria VanFranken moves to town. They know that much money usually brings trouble. And they aren’t wrong. After less than a month in the valley, Victoria is found murdered in her mansion. The most surprising part is that the main suspect is one of their own: Suzanne, a local artist and Hadley’s best friend, was the last person to see Victoria alive. The evidence overwhelmingly points to Suze, who was hired to paint a portrait of the billionaire and argued with Victoria hours before her death.

Pebble Cove is home to more than just fishermen, Victorian houses, and coastal beauty. It also harbors long-running feuds and buried secrets. When a local man drops dead after drinking a matcha tea latte, Rosemary Woodmere suspects foul play. As a witness to the murder, she’s called in for questioning. At the station, she meets a new ghost and learns the town’s police force has a dark past when it comes to covering up murder.