Showing results by narrator "Rafe Beckley" in All Categories

The relationship between the US and China, the world’s two superpowers, is peculiarly volatile. Their militaries play a dangerous game of chicken, corporations steal intellectual property, intelligence satellites peer, and AI technicians plot. The capacity for either country to cross a fatal line grows daily.  Kevin Rudd, a former Australian prime minister who has studied, lived in, and worked with China for more than forty years, is one of the very few people who can offer real insight into the mindsets of the leadership whose judgment will determine if a war will be fought. 

England, 1925. When a strange young woman is found murdered on the grounds of Unsworth Castle, the duke and his family are astounded at first, but quickly become enraged when the police begin asking all sorts of impertinent questions. And when suspicions dare to fall on one of their own, it is up to Mr. Quayle, Lord Unsworth's exceedingly efficient secretary, to find the true culprit and save the House of Unsworth from scandal and ruin.

Haunted by vivid nightmares, 17-year-old Clara Blackwell suffers a miserable and downtrodden life in Great Britain. When a simple act of kindness leads her astray, a chance encounter casts her across the dimensional barrier between worlds. Clara is thrust into a captivating realm of vampires and magic that is desperate to tear her apart. Awaking in a mysterious castle under a cosmic sky, she quickly learns that the beauty of this new world is matched only by its immense peril. If word of her arrival spreads, the entire world could erupt into a brutal war over Clara’s fate.

Delphine Delacroix has lived the life of bird in a gilded cage, kept in a stately home with only her cold autocratic mother for company. At her mother’s death, she finds herself to be a wealthy woman and comes to London to be fretted over by her three maternal aunts determined to have her marry well. But Delphine feels she is once more having to hand herself over to another’s will and seeks to be the mistress of her own destiny.

A cave-diving expedition on a mysterious island goes horribly wrong for a renowned marine biologist and his fellow divers when they become hunted by a deadly breed of predators that, until then, had only been known in myths and legends. 

The relationship between the US and China, the world's two superpowers, is peculiarly volatile. It rests on a seismic fault of cultural misunderstanding, historical grievance and ideological incompatibility. No other nations are so quick to offend and be offended. Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who has studied, lived in and worked with China for more than 40 years, is one of the very few people who can offer real insight into the mindsets of the leadership whose judgement will determine if a war will be fought.

Haunted by vivid nightmares, 17-year-old Clara Blackwell suffers a miserable and downtrodden life in Great Britain. When a simple act of kindness leads her astray, a chance encounter casts her across the dimensional barrier between worlds. Clara is thrust into a captivating realm of vampires and magic that is desperate to tear her apart. Awaking in a mysterious castle under a cosmic sky, she quickly learns that the beauty of this new world is matched only by its immense peril. Ripped from her nightmares comes Elliott Craven, her dream savior. Cold, logical, and deeply suspicious of her intentions....

Jerrell Hawkins has a plan. He’s going to marry Nadine Hartwell, study magic at University, and serve his kingdom in the ongoing war in the prestigious Orichalcum Company led by the hero of the realm. To do this, he needs to obtain a Class. When his plan to create a new, powerful spellcasting class fails, he fears all is lost. Then an enemy sleeper agent burns down his world and Nadine is infected with lycanthropy.

On a hidden isle in the seas near dark age England, Fairykind is on the verge of extinction. When a young fairy named Ethywyne Eleganta secretly gives birth to the first youngling in 14 years, she and her child become the hunted prize of the wicked troll general Sunderin. Ethywyne must make the perilous journey across the Fairy Realms to get her child to the Fairy Queen, the only one who can protect her from the shadow that seeks to destroy all of Fairykind.

In this thrilling installment of the award-winning Harwood Mysteries series, Xan leaves the Abbey for far-away Lincoln to apprentice with his uncle. But he quickly learns that all is not well. Uncle William has fallen in debt to a heartless moneylender called the Master. Nigel, the reckless nephew of William’s business partner, has put them in danger by befriending an enemy of the King. Why are the Master’s thugs lurking near Uncle William’s shop? Does the disfigured woman in the marketplace really have power over life and death? Will Nigel stop his dealings with a known traitor?

Laughter, happiness, romance, and just a bit of deception and intrigue - these are what make up Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies. Though Shakespeare is probably most well-known for the dramatic tragedies that have defined the genre for centuries, his comedies are just as well beloved and performed in theaters across the globe. Shakespearean comedies are defined by their humorous writing, their satire, the often-tangled romances, disguises and deceptions, and a thoughtful “fool” who is often the bearer of the smartest lines in the plays. 

Everyone knows their role in the kingdom of Haulstatt, from the lowest chamber maid to the queen herself. Even the mages magic in approved ways. But Portia steals for a living, taking from society rather than living within its rules. And unknown to Portia, her differences matter more than she could possibly realize. Red Jack focuses on Portia’s discovery of her unique abilities and exotic heritage. 

Clara Blackwell sleeps an unnatural sleep, led deeper into her dreams by a figure from her past. Driven into powerful mourning, Elliott struggles to balance watching over her slumbering body with ruling over a vampire civilization, in a world where magic enhances everything - especially the vicious, dangerous wildlife. But events have begun to shift on the global scale. No longer can Elliott Craven ignore the threat of the other vampire lords ­- powerful enemies eager to get their hands on the world’s single human being, no matter the cost.

Between the comedy of a gaggle of men running around wildly to attempt to wed Bianca and the over-the-top portrayal of Katherina’s “taming”, The Taming of the Shrew is a humorous play that offers a fascinating look at the 16th century’s views on women, marriage, and domesticity. 

Ed White was a college freshman and had moved into the dorm room of his new college with the help of his parents when he was mowed down by a car on his way back from lunch. Being an avid RPG player, Ed excelled at logic and reason, and when he enters the afterworld, he is met with a figure who offers him an appealing proposition: to reincarnate as Edward MacAra, a black magic user. The only stipulation: Edward must save the universe from being taken over by the Demon Lord, Abraxas.

At the dawn of the Calamity, three separated lives intertwine. Clara Blackwell’s magical training has drawn to a close. Haunted by the impending apocalypse, danger surrounds her at every turn. But mysteries deep within her dreams will finally come to light - and if she's lucky enough, she just might find a way to bring a new salvation to the vampire world...The pieces are set. The stalemate is breaking. And the ultimate threat finally awakens....

In the aftermath of a powerful betrayal, Clara Blackwell and Nikki Craven part ways. Forced to undergo her final year of training alone, Clara must contend with the forces of Seven Portals - all of whom suspect her curious powers. If her carefully guarded secrets are uncovered, all could be lost.  

Pressure builds within the occupied castle, driving wedges between all. The young lovers Elliott and Clara must reconcile their changes or push each other apart - forever. Driven by prophecies of the coming storm, Lorelei battles her curse. Nikki struggles against her insanity, and Kinsey must choose her loyalties. Salvation and danger come intertwined. Clara is given a chance to choose her own destiny - but she must face the cunning of the vampire lords alone, stripped of protections. It is time for the fledgling witch’s fate to be decided.

A mysterious suitor. Dashing Mr Darcy. A secret stalker poised to snatch Elizabeth Bennet from both. Torn between her secret correspondent and Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth must decide if courtship and marriage are even in her future. She does not have time to wait, for Mr Bennet is gravely ill, and it is up to her to save the family from poverty - even if it means accepting a position as a governess. A position that brings an unexpected cloud of danger. But Mr. Darcy has a secret of his own.

Journey to eight states, three national parks, and three countries to experience the life-changing education and adventures that led Trent A. Romer to finding sustainability for his plastic-bag-manufacturing business and himself.