Showing results by narrator "Derek Shoales" in All Categories

Eric Bergman used to be treated like an outcast, cripple, and freak. Some pitied him, others squirmed in his presence, while others still mocked him to his face. He himself even thought he was born cursed by the gods. But bit by bit, all that changed. That which was once considered a flaw or defect transformed into an advantage. And Eric slowly learned to use it to his benefit.

Marc and his party are seeking the sarcophagus that they were sent on a quest to find, only to discover that it is now protected by far more than just the Guardian they'd been told would await them. When they return to Any Port, Marc discovers that Bastet's obsession with Beggar has reached new heights, forcing Beggar and Marc into taking action to foil Bastet's plan to kidnap the raccoon.

For Marc and his party, their current quest seems to drag on and on. Clearing the Labyrinth, defeating Circe, destroying Medusa, and more have become a grind. The main factor that keeps them going is that Zeus is keeping his promise by helping their levels shoot up. Meanwhile, Marc's Safe Zone, Any Port, and the accompanying Safe Zone network continue expanding and growing. They keep him busy whenever he manages to get back home on breaks from the quest.

With Earth's acclimatization year ticking away, Marc and his party share the desire to grow stronger. Based on their previous experiences, they theorize where they might find spawns that would be powerful enough to give them good experience, then head out to prove their theory. Along the way they discover another fairly large Safe Zone with a population of hundreds of people. On their return to their home Safe Zone, Marc finds that he's received messages from powerful, potential allies from off world. Allies who are aware of the satellite and what it's been doing.

Phillip Pliant is the wealthy opportunist plastics dealer, and CEO of Pliant Industries. He’s also a master thief—creating a pervasive threat to the manufacturing infrastructure in the Caribbean islands markets. With the cartel as his stealth client, the naïve city leaders have been seduced, enabling the production of more than 3-dimensional building materials.

We all know a visionary leader when we see one. They're bold and prophetic and at the same time pragmatic. They don't just promote change - they drive it, while inspiring and mobilizing others to do the same. Visionaries like Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos possess a host of innate qualities that make them extraordinary, but what truly sets them apart is their ability to turn vision into action. Here, Innosight's Mark W. Johnson and Josh Suskewicz introduce a new way of thinking and managing, called "future-back", that enables any manager to become a practical visionary.

Taylor McFadden is in a military hospital recovering, and Niki is on the warpath, with Jennie visiting him in the hospital. Will Taylor live through an operation in which a helicopter dropped on him only to die when Niki gets hold of him? Further, he has decided to have the final word with the crime lord attacking his people. You know, his friends? Like...Vickie?

After a long and arduous journey spanning the breadth of the empire, Belgrieve has finally laid his regrets to rest and can begin thinking about what the future holds for his steadily growing circle of family and friends. With the defeat of the imposter Benjamin and the restoration of the true prince to his rightful rule, Belgrieve returns home with Satie as his bride and quickly settles back into the rhythm of country living-too quickly, if Kasim, Percival, and Angeline have anything to say about it.

Eddie Hunter just wants to keep building his settlement, but somehow there's always something in the way. His good ties with Freyja have made him a target for one of the other AIs in the game. One of the other less savory AIs, who isn't too picky about how he expresses his displeasure. On defense against the opponents being hurled at him, the support of his party and the other adventurers in the area is critical, and beyond his expectations.

His name is Taylor McFadden, survivor of eighty-three trips into the ZOO. Now, he's retired, and yet his country needs his skills to save people in the country he calls home.

His name is Taylor McFadden, survivor of 83 trips into the ZOO. Now, he's retired, and yet his country needs his skills to save people in the country he calls home. Can he build a company, put down roots, and still bring the pain when the FBI calls? When they tag him as The Cryptid Assassin, they weren't wrong. For monsters that go bump in the night, he is death incarnate.

Maeve uch Robert, daughter of Robert ap Morgan, had always heard the stories of her family's connection to the emperors of old. Not that she really believed them. But her sister, Morgain, clearly did. She's been trying to claim the crown for herself ever since a coup attempt killed the current emperor and wiped out most of the court. To protect Maeve, Robert plans to enroll her safely in the Imperial Fleet Academy. Then Morgain strikes again . . .

It's time. The gloves are coming off. The mob has disrespected Taylor's people, and he won't stand for it. However, DESK is more than willing to help everyone bet their bank account on the outcome. But will Taylor be able to take out two very large mob guys and take home the scratch? To get Niki's hand, will Taylor have to go through her DOD guys to get their permission? Perhaps, but perhaps they better not let Niki hear them say it that way.

Taylor McFadden is willing to go against any monster thrown at him. But something Niki threw at him has got him off his game. Niki must build a consultant team to figure out if she has a problem with another company. But will Dr. Salinger Jacobs of Heavy Metal take her call? Does she have the clout to get him to believe her if he picks up the phone?

The skies of the Dark Continent teem with ravening beasts. Thousands of refugees are at the gates of Foreston seeking salvation from a mysterious scourge. The Wastes are infested with herds of bloodthirsty necromorphs that devour every living thing in their path. A Dark Gateway has opened in the Stone Forest, allowing a horde of otherworldly monsters to come flooding through.

Niki Banks and her team from the DOD need Taylor's help, but he isn't at home. He is in New Orleans with her cousin, which has Niki more than a little curious. She needs to stop a potentially catastrophic release of cryptids into the Louisiana biome. But will Taylor be in jail by the time she arrives? If he isn't in jail, will he have committed yet another major heist to get even with those who have attacked him?

Marc is all too aware that the end of the acclimatization year the System has provided to Earth is quickly drawing to a close and that others will be allowed onto the planet to start claiming areas shortly. Zeus has promised that his series of quests will get Marc, at least, to the maximum level reachable in that first year, but Marc is nervous that it isn't going to happen.

While intensely attentive to its own tradition, Japanese literature has also embraced the outside world, particularly the influence of China. Beyond this, Japan boasts a powerful literary culture, made up of cultivated reading publics, both aristocratic and bourgeois, literary salons, specialized presses, authoritative judges of talent who cultivated and celebrated particular writers and styles, and a canon consisting of classics. This Very Short Introduction traces the rich history of Japanese literature from its beginnings over a millennium ago to the present day.

Eddie Hunter has discovered that he loves building. Creating things with his own hands satisfies him. Fortunately, his job in the game Light Online allows for that. It also requires that he do all the other things the rest of the players in the game do, so he can't just build. Balancing his time between adventuring and building would be easy if it didn't seem like there were always 27 more things he felt he should be doing at the same time.

Eddie Hunter isn't stuck in the game Light Online, but if he wants to keep his job, he needs to stay there. It's not a hardship for him as he increasingly believes that his in-game life is far preferable to his out-of-game life. Working on a hidden development quest that he discovered by accident has him becoming more and more entrepreneurial even while running his own inn, but between him and his party, the Meadowlands is rapidly developing.