Showing results by narrator "Michael Orenstein" in All Categories

Sensible Kevin O’Rourke does not believe in ghosts, in love at first sight, or in the happily-ever-after type of love. Instead, he is convinced only hard work, dedication to family, and self-sacrifice will bring contentment. When he meets Aileen O’Keefe on the steamboat trip from Saint Louis to Fort Benton, Montana Territory, his world is turned upside down as quickly as she nearly tumbles into the Missouri River. After spending a few moments in her company, he knows his life will never be the same.

What happens when we reach out into the vastness of space? What hope for us amongst the stars? Multi-award winning editor Jonathan Strahan brings us 14 new tales of the future, from some of the finest science fiction writers in the field. The 14 startling stories in this anthology feature the work of Greg Egan, Aliette de Bodard, Ian McDonald, Karl Schroeder, Pat Cadigan, Karen Lord, Ellen Klages, Adam Roberts, Linda Nagata, Hannu Rajaniemi, Kathleen Ann Goonan, Ken MacLeod, Alastair Reynolds, and Peter Watts.

Ardan O’Rourke never thought to marry. Not after the heartbreak he suffered as a young man. Not after the years he helped raise his youngest siblings. He never expected to meet Deirdre Finnegan, a spirited woman with a past full of secrets. Deirdre Finnegan is not who she appears to be. A fine cook and a loner, she yearns for so much more. When Ardan and the O’Rourkes befriend her, she cannot deny her desire to be part of the large, wonderful family. Just when she begins to believe in a new future, her past returns to remind her of all she has lost.

Though Americans have seen plenty of news updates on the Iraq War since 2003, few know what it’s like to actually live through the harsh conditions on a daily basis. In his memoir, B.I.A.P.: Baghdad International Airport, two-tour Iraq War veteran Sergeant Brian L. Gordon shows readers the constant challenges soldiers face on the ground in the Middle East. Serving first in 2003, Gordon drives a truck delivering bulk fuel and must regularly dodge rocket-propelled grenades and IEDs. His unit also takes on heavy firefights and rocket launcher attacks while manning the water point at the Euphrates River.

In these stories, author Dick Gillman introduces the character of Julia Moriarty. Holmes and Watson become acutely aware of her existence in 1894 in the story aptly recorded by Watson as that of "The Shadow of James Moriarty". Shopping for a Christmas gift for Holmes exposes Watson to an underworld that he had hoped had disappeared with the death of James Moriarty.

Recounts the story of America’s last great newspaper war between the New York Daily News and the New York Post, as both papers’ long rivalry turned existential amid the rise of digital news. The story is told through the eyes of the reporters, or “runners”, and photographers who fought the war on the ground in cities across America.

It was supposed to be just another quiet evening. But some things just cannot be laid to rest. Retired detective Michael Jakes is taking a much-needed vacation in a hotel he always wanted to visit. But when a body turns up and startles the guests, he wants no part of it. That is until a woman sits next to him and lures him in.

In our culture, being independent is highly valued. But, being totally independent is impossible. We depend on the many relationships in our lives, not because we rely on other people, but because through relationships we become aware of changes we need to make. The most meaningful and lasting changes do not come from pleasing others. They don’t come about by what others do for us. They come from taking a look at ourselves within the context of our relationships, before deciding what we need to do to improve these relationships.

Niamh O’Rourke Ahern knows she should feel shame. Regret. Remorse. Anything but the deep relief filling her to the depths of her soul. What kind of woman is she to rejoice at the death of her husband? What woman yearns for another’s touch as her husband’s casket is being lowered into the ground? In the end, she knows it doesn’t matter, for she will always be alone. No man will ever fully earn her trust again.

The annual Great Quest is about to be announced in Quendel, which will determine the futures of Marcus and the other boys from the village who are coming of age. The wizard Zyll commands them to find the Rock of Ivanore, but he doesn't tell them what the rock is exactly or where it can be found. Marcus must reach deep within himself to find the powers of magic and the strength to survive the wild lands and fierce enemies he encounters as he searches for the elusive rock.

From an author praised by the Wall Street Journal for his "eye for a good story" comes an account of Herbert Fuller tragedy of 1896, a tragedy that occurred on the high seas and one involving the senseless slaughter of three of the 12 souls on board. Stunned by this act of random violence, and in sure knowledge that one or more of their own was the murderer, the living turn the vessel to shore, 750 miles distant.

Tattooed bad boy James Bowen is about to marry the love of his life. Everything would be perfect if it wasn't for the tiny detail that his bride-to-be is freaking out big time. And trying to hide it from him.

Kevin Engle has been entertaining people for 10 years with his “Engle’s Angle” column and its humorous look at our everyday lives. In The Best of Engle’s Angle, a collection of more than 100 favorites, you’ll know why he doesn’t want to shake hands with people in church. Plus, meet a dentist who does play-by-play commentary while checking your teeth, and watch out for office coworkers when there’s free food.

Take one devastatingly handsome movie star.Add one outrageously sexy female private eye with a penchant for food-word obscenities.Mix in a dose of mistaken identity and a handful of Russian mobsters...And they're all In Deep Shitake.

In Toronto, Inspector Raid McTavish stares at the body of a young woman carefully posed in a bed of purple iris, her throat slashed, almost beheaded, her hands placed to cover her empty eye sockets. He knows this is not a random murder, but the first of more to come. What he doesn't know is that 2,000 miles away in Tucson, Arizona, Sergeant Gary Ronstadt is viewing an identical crime scene.

We, as Americans, are some of the world's worst eaters. We fill ourselves with high-fat, high-carb, high-calorie, extra-sugary foods and drinks that we can't ever work off. And we end up with those extra pounds around our middles. Roughly half of the nation is obese. If we aren't careful, within the next 20 years the entire nation could succumb to being obese.

Verbal abusers are highly intelligent people who tend to tell their victims what they want to hear in a caring way that allows the abuser to hide the true meaning of the message.

Recounts the story of America’s last great newspaper war between the New York Daily News and the New York Post, as both papers’ long rivalry turned existential amid the rise of digital news. The story is told through the eyes of the reporters, or “runners,” and photographers who fought the war on the ground in cities across America.

Faith Greene decides to have her breasts enlarged with silicone implants. It is a mistake she will not live to regret. On December 10, 1990, popular TV host, Connie Chung, interviews several women with severe, debilitating diseases they claim are the direct result of silicone breast implants. Two medical experts on the panel confirm their claims. Shortly after the program airs, the lawsuits begin. First as a trickle, and then as a torrent. And then the brutal murders begin.