Showing results by narrator "Kevin T. Collins" in All Categories

Beneath the glitter of Mardi Gras lies the sleaze of Bourbon Street; under the celestial sounds of JazzFest, the nightmare screams of a city once at war within its neighborhoods, but after Hurricane Katrina, seemingly at war with nature and the rest of the country as well. New Orleans is a third world country in itself, a Latin, African, European (and often amoral) culture trapped in a Puritan nation.

Jacob is a soldier in a war against a new type of enemy. Trained in the basics of ground combat and tossed a weapon, he is now on the front lines of the global conflict. He must face the Delta Horde or risk his family's eviction to the refugee camps. Inexperienced, Jacob discovers he has something far more valuable than weapons and armor: his fellow soldiers at his side. As a team they struggle to survive battles and an enemy that would ruin a man standing against them alone.

Philip and his girlfriend Beth were seniors in high school when they chose adoption for their son. Now, years later, Beth has moved to Palo Alto - and on with her life - but Philip still lives in town. He works a job he hates so he can be near Olaf, who knows him as “uncle”. On the morning of Olaf’s 14th birthday party, Philip hears his neighbor Zali’s dog, Sinai, barking on the other side of the fence. Philip scales the fence and finds the dog tied to a tree with a belt, hungry and scared.

Furs are the creative subculture of people who identify with animals. You can find them at furry conventions, furfests, around the world-tens of thousands of people donning their most elaborate fursuit. In costume, at conventions, with friends or alone, furries unleash the animal within, letting their inner beasts roar and their inner cats purr, aware of the power—and joy—to be found in bringing forward one's animal side and encouraging others to do the same.

After departing from the Lang Tribal Clan of the Eastern Wilds, Feng Yu and the others had set out on a lone journey toward the Southern Wastelands, venturing toward the various routes of the Southern Pass separately. Feng Yu took on the temporary identity of a wandering swordsman, but will it be enough to shield him from the unyielding Midnight Temple assassins, or even the various Major Factions and bounty hunters that are out for his head?

The ancient war has finally come to an end, bringing a peaceful closure to the chaotic dispute of the Ancient Dragon Battlefield. Its prisoners, along with their mysterious foes, return to the realm of the forgotten.

Meet Simon Strong, an immortal detective about to enjoy a night out on the town. He’s planned this date for weeks and tonight is the night. When Tristan Montague, Simon’s partner and resident cranky mage, advises Simon against this course of action, Simon declares his freedom to see whomever he chooses. There’s only one problem. Her name is Michiko and she doesn’t share well.  

San Francisco Noir lashes out with hard-biting tales exploring the shadowy nether regions of scenic "Baghdad by the Bay". In this superb collection, virtuosos of the genre meet up with the best of SF’s literary fiction community to chart a unique psycho-geography for a dark landscape. From inner city boroughs to the outlands, each contributor offers an original story based in a distinct neighborhood.

Seventy baseball seasons ago, on a May afternoon at Yankee Stadium, Joe DiMaggio lined a hard single to left field. It was the quiet beginning to the most resonant baseball achievement of all time. Alongside the story of DiMaggio's dramatic quest, Kennedy deftly examines the peculiar nature of hitting streaks and with an incisive, modern-day perspective gets inside the number itself, as its sheer improbability heightens both the math and the magic of 56 games in a row.

Petite though she may be, Zuzana is not known for timidity. Her friend, Karou, calls her "rabid fairy", her "voodoo eyes" are said to freeze blood, and even her brother fears her wrath. But when it comes to the simple matter of talking to Mik, or "Violin Boy", her courage deserts her. But Zuzana is determined to meet him, and she has a fistful of magic and a plan. It's a wonderfully elaborate treasure hunt of a plan that will take Mik all over Prague on a cold winter's night before finally leading him to the treasure: herself!

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as "normal" as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for—his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again. But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, "normal" simply isn't to be.

With the weight of expectation riding on Nyx's shoulders, the stakes have never been higher. She's got to save herself, her brother, and everyone else who's counting on her survival knowledge... if only she knew how to get them all out. It's back to the drawing board, but there's no way she's giving up her dream of freedom after coming so far, whatever the cost.

Ava and Luc are asked to head north to Skäddar, a move necessary to save the alliance they have created with the mountainous country. Something terrible is killing Skäddar villagers and leaving messages behind with their bodies that the deaths will continue as long as the Skäddar are in alliance with the Rising Wave. If Ava and Luc can’t convince the Skäddar Collective to stand up for their new friendship in the face of the tragedy, they will lose a vital ally in the region.

With the events of the brutal Devil's Nest now behind him, Feng Yu had finally reunited with his allies Dai Lin, Lang Kuang, and the rest. Once more, having assembled, they begin their journey in the ever so dangerous dunes of the Southern Wastelands, striving to make the most of their limited time to prepare themselves before the rumored Ruin Openings. Nevertheless, as they travel across the unfamiliar southern sands, encountering both old and new adversaries, slowly they will discover that the south might be more than they could ever imagine.

Spending summer vacation at his grandparents’ boring seaside town was not at the top of Bennet’s vacation list. Like a modern-day Little Red Riding Hood, he discovers that his grandparents have a certain terrifying, lupine quality at the full moon. 

The Network Imperative is a call to action for managers and executives to embrace network-based business models. The benefits are indisputable: companies that leverage digital platforms to co-create and share value with networks of employees, customers, and suppliers are fast outpacing the market. These companies, or network orchestrators, grow faster, scale with lower marginal cost, and generate the highest revenue multipliers.

How do you stop a God? Monty and Simon don’t know, but they better find out, and fast....The NYTF Command Hub has been destroyed, the Director is in critical condition, and a cryptic message has been left for the Montague and Strong Detective Agency - in blood....When Monty and Simon discover Mahnes, a Soul Renderer and Dark Mage, is behind the attack, they realize they are outclassed, and outgunned. Something or someone is controlling Mahnes, and they need help. Now, Monty and Simon must face an ancient god, one they thought they had defeated, and banished. They were wrong.

No matter how fast you are, you can’t outrun your past. When Ramirez receives a call from Shadow Company, he uncovers secrets from Simon’s covert operative days and an instruction: contact Simon. An agent Simon thought dead, has resurfaced, looking for vengeance and his help. Now, together with Monty, Simon must stop this agent from exacting revenge before it’s too late and countless lives are lost.

Autumn, 1864. Rebel bushwhackers have seized and looted a small town in Missouri. Wounded and left for dead by his half-brother, 17-year-old Owen Wainwright is captured and conscripted by the Confederate Army. As the troops' blacksmith, he witnesses the horrors of war firsthand: the savagery of General Selby's Iron Brigade, the massacres of Union troops, the bloody battles at Lexington, Westport, and Mine Creek. Against all odds, Owen survives with the help of an unlikely ally-a new friend in arms and the only person he trusts. But if fate is cruel, war can be crueler.

Some mysteries don't solve themselves.... The trail seems never ending. Sadie Turnberry had played her cards close to her chest, but she's not the main target anymore. Another name whispers in the wind. A name with no background but a whole lotta legacy. Dick has caught a whiff of the endgame and now he can't let go, no matter who gets in his way. Accompanied by a fabled mercenary slash assassin-for-hire, Valentina Winters, Dick is about to bring the whole system crumbling down on itself.