Showing results by narrator "Marni Penning" in All Categories

Old ways and new clash in head-on confrontation: When journeyman hit man Ray Dylan agrees to look in on Sami Bloom, former mistress of a deceased Canadian crime financier, he realizes he must keep his profession a secret. What he doesn’t realize is how difficult that is now that he has fallen for this warm-hearted beauty. While he struggles with the idea of confiding to her about his secret past, Dylan learns that Sami Bloom has some secrets of her own - and her secrets reach into the upper echelons of the very organization he works for.

When Lacey's friend is haunted by a nighttime prowler only she can hear, it's up to Lacey to decide if the prowler is imaginary or not - a life-altering decision.

All parties converge on the capital city, Triah - Cinzia and the Odenites to establish their new religion and appeal against a charge of heresy; Knot and Astrid to find answers in the vampire girl's past; and Winter has come to conquer the city, at the head of a tiellan army. But Winter is still struggling with her addictions and anger; Knot's efforts to be reunited with her can only lead to disappointment. Cinzia can't free herself from a terrible bargain. As the battle lines are drawn, the true nature of the goddess Canta, and the Odenites' final purpose, will soon be revealed....

Meet Lara Dominguez—a troubled Creighton cops reporter obsessed with the city's debonair vigilante—The Black Ghost. With the help of a mysterious cyber-informant named LONE, Lara's inched closer to uncovering the Ghost's identity. But as she searched for the breakthrough story she desperately needs, Lara will have to navigate the corruption of her city, the uncertainties of virtue, and her own personal demons. Will she have the strength to be part of the solution—or will she become the problem?

Nylan, the only man among the matriarchal band of “angels” marooned on the high plateau of Candar. Forced to seek a life elsewhere, Nylan descends into a world of warring kingdoms and strange magics in search of a peaceful life with his wife and infant son. His talents, however, make him a valuable weapon - and so the war between chaos and order begins anew.

When a corpse is discovered by a mountain, Lacey McCrae must trade in her Christmas shopping for Victim Services in order to find the killer before they strike again.

In just 15 minutes your kids can be unplugged from their screens and outside on an adventure, all thanks to the ultimate parenting resource to help you connect with your kids and get out of the house! A creative collection of activities for families, 15 Minutes Outside is filled with 365 days of quality time, outdoor adventures, and unplugged activities that require little time, cash, or patience.

Wild Monsters Dance About is a collection of 21 short stories that will take into author M.J. Sewall’s unruly mind. These finely tuned tales jump through genres, concepts and characters, predicaments, adventures, and conundrums. Whether about everyday-science going terribly wrong in "Unintended Science" to animal evolution suddenly speeding up in "It Finally happened" or the prickly family politics of road trips in "Sibling Warfare", these stories will thrill, delight, and discombobulate your imagination.

Jadon is excited to go to kindergarten next year, but when his mom says he’ll be home-schooled, he gets worried. What will that be like? Will he have any friends? Will he still have fun? Mom’s My Teacher?! introduces the concept of home-schooling to young children who may be following a different approach to learning.

When a Hollywood director’s wife dies during a local movie shoot, filming is suspended. The death also spells the end of ex-Mountie Lacey McCrae’s latest temporary job. At loose ends, Lacey volunteers to help in the search for an aging oil baron and his son who have disappeared in the foothills of the Rockies. As drone operators scan the forested valleys from the air and rock-climbers rappel down narrow chasms in search of the pair, Lacey dons her Victim Services’ cap to ease tensions among the missing oilman’s four adult sons and three ex-wives.

Delve into the mind of Chesca Christine as she opens herself up in an often dark, but raw, manner. In the poems, she describes things like how she was just an observer, or she says farewell to her past self. Spread throughout are series like “I Would Have Chosen”, in which a corpse describes the art of decomposition and yearns for a respite, or “The Journey”, in which a city is visible, but is not the destination. There are some musings about how others act and possible repercussions for said action.

After getting kidnapped by a demigod and imprisoned in another dimension, Makayla was really hoping that her life would get back to normal. Or at least as normal as life could be when you had a goblin for a best friend. But now her sleepy midwestern town is being invaded by shadows. Her neighbors are being stolen away and replaced by changelings. And when she tries to escape, her path threatens to take her to the one place she never wanted to return to: the mysterious and dangerous Land of Annwfyn.

A weekly ritual that turns into the surprise of all time; an accident that has a devastating effect on two lives in different ways; and a father’s heartfelt journey to tell his son of an important part of his past. All come together in Beginnings and Endings, a trilogy of short stories that will bring a lump to the throat.

There's something truly magical about Christmas. Combining two charming story collections - A Miracle Under the Christmas Tree and A Kiss Under the Mistletoe - into one beautiful package, these heartwarming stories of the kindness of strangers, reunions with loved ones and the blessings of answered prayers capture the spirit of the season.

American roots music, also known as Americana music, can be challenging to categorize, spanning the genres of jazz, bluegrass, country, blues, rock and roll, and an assortment of variations in between. In The Downhome Sound, Mandi Bates Bailey explores the messages, artists, community, and appeal of this seemingly disparate musical collective. To understand the art form's intended meanings and typical audiences, she analyzes lyrics and interviews Americana artists, journalists, and festival organizers to uncover a desire for inclusion and diversity.

Stella and her husband Adam are on the trip of a lifetime, a three-week tour across Europe. But then the unthinkable happens. On the last day of their holiday, a Parisian café explodes with Adam inside. What initially looks like a gas leak turns personal when the gendarmerie identify Adam as the target of the explosion, and they confront Stella with some startling allegations about her beloved husband. Determined to find out who the man she married really was, Stella follows the threads he left behind.

As Lara Dominguez settles into her new role as the Black Ghost—the corrupt city of Creighton's last defense—she finds herself face to face with a monster borne out of the city's own dark past. Can she handle her new foe while trying to balance her own shaky personal and professional lives?

A follow up to "I Watched Through Windows".

Wedding planner Yardley Belanger has resigned herself to spinsterhood while organising other people’s happy endings. An all-new heartwarming story of second chances at life and love, with summer weddings, a lakeside cottage for honeymooners, best friends and a rescued dog. Set in the quirky small town of Cemetery, Indiana, population 827.

After putting the brakes on her dead-end relationship, local veterinarian Ivey Anders is ready to soak up this summer on her own terms. The way she sees it, no dating means no disappointment. Why complicate life with anything long-term? But when she meets Corbin Meyer - and his troubled young son, Justin - Ivey's no-strings strategy threatens to unravel before she can put it into practice.