Showing results by author "Maria K." in All Categories

It should have never happened. But it did. It should have been left alone. But it wasn’t. No one should have gone in. But someone did.

Alexander Kuprin prefaced his novel The Pit about the lives of early 20th century Russian prostitutes as follows, "I know many people will find this novel amoral and inappropriate, but nevertheless I dedicated it from the bottom of my heart to mothers and young people" Indeed, the novel's publication was followed by an explosion of outrage. The "good" society accused Kuprin of slander and forever exiled him from its sitting rooms, charity auctions, and holiday balls. Progressive intellecutals winced and shuddered, but could not help admitting Kuprin had a point.

Over the past six years, Michael K. Simpson’s Unlocking Potential has helped leaders motivate, inspire, and fully engage their teams. This revised edition, written with Maria Sullivan and Kari Saddler, builds on that powerful foundation for a new generation of leaders. The key is not just managing but coaching - developing the talents of your organization’s most important asset: the employees. In any successful organization, that begins with the basic skills developed by Simpson: building trust, recognizing potential, challenging paradigms, and more.

After a prolonged battle with a strange sleep disorder, Philip Stokes becomes one of the patients at IRIS - International Research Institute of Sleep. He comes to realize even this exclusive institution doesn't have all the answers, and sometimes, its highly capable specialists must rely on unconventional expertise to solve their patients' problems.

The tale of The Princess and the Frog takes a decidedly darker turn as Doc sets out to investigate what truly happened between the king's daughter and the talking amphibian.

The Alternative Villains series opens with another look into the seemingly straightforward tale of Snow White and the bewitched apple. The piece of fruit in question turns out to have unexpected properties, and leads into an investigation of the less obvious aspects of this story.

Who came up with the idea that if a man is a prince, he must always marry a princess? Things come to a head when one rebellious royal decides to dispute this rule.

Fed up with Jack's beanstalk shenanigans, the ogre and his wife decide to turn the tables on him.

Bethany Simmons takes a shortcut on a stormy night and ends up in a place where one man is both sustained by the ghosts of his past and held captive by them.

The tale of Little Red Riding Hood takes an unexpected turn when the wolf's intended prey turns the tables on him and changes the course of his life.

There are many versions of the Cinderella story. Not one of them, however, points out that one does not have to wear the glass slipper—even if it fits.

Alternative Endings series dips into the realm of alternative beginnings by pondering what might have really happened before the opening scene of the beloved classic Beauty and the Beast.

After being rescued from the greedy mole by her faithful swallow and brought to the tropical kingdom populated by elves, Thumbelina finds herself thrust into the intricacies of elvish court politics and facing yet another marriage no one had asked her about.

What if the Little Mermaid took a moment to reconsider her deal with the sea witch, and decided to change the course of her life her own way, on her own terms? Listen to this charming, alternative story!

The quiet, settled life of a tropical colony is disrupted when a mysterious stranger makes his home nearby. Himself an exile from the wider world and bittersweet memories, the newcomer pursues his own goals, but not before he alters the paths of those around him forever.

This installment of the Alternative Endings series takes a fresh look at Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen", following Kai and Gerda in a somewhat different direction than the original.

Sleeping Beauty might be the title character of the famous fairy tale, but, in truth, she didn't do much to bring the story to a happy ending. Let us find out who really did all the hard work.

A new force arises in the elemental universe and immediately turns it all upside down. It is unpredictable. It is powerful. It is alarmingly intelligent. It's...a gnome.

Imagine if one man devised a way to gain control of one vital resource no one can live without. What would you do then?

What would happen if damsels in distress defied evil wizards and wicked queens, dismissed the marginally competent princes, and took the matters of their rescuing into their own hands? Find one possible answer here, in the first installment of Maria K's Alternative Endings series.