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

Gerald Livingston is an orbital garbage collector. For a hundred years, people have been abandoning things in space, and someone has to clean it up. But there’s something spinning a little bit higher than he expects, something that isn’t on the decades’ old orbital maps. An hour after he grabs it and brings it in, rumors fill Earth’s infomesh about an "alien artifact".

After centuries of hardship and tragedy, of struggle and toil, he'd finally reached the end of his journey. He'd never faltered, defying all who'd stood in his way. And now, the Seventh Heaven beckoned, the place where both the answers to his questions and justice for all those he'd been forced to leave behind awaited him. Not once had he given in, regardless of the obstacles in his path. Even if all the Ancients banded together to oppose him, he would not yield. His will had been forged into something more than mere iron by the crucible of his life, and nothing would be able to break it.

Prince Boschild of Liechtenstein. A man chosen by the emperor himself to maintain order in this small principality. However, the Empire's glorious ruler clearly underestimated Boschild's greed and ambition. Before I, Theodore the Babylonian, arrived in Liechtenstein, things had been plain sailing for the prince. He'd just carried on taking care of state matters, not forgetting to take care of himself in the process.

Torn between two men... When I woke up after the accident, I couldn't remember anything from the last year - including my relationship with Max Hallowell or anything about Nate Crane. Now my memories are returning, but instead of answering my questions, they're leaving me with more. The man who broke my heart and wants to be my future... Max is all I ever wanted, and now he wants to marry me. He'll do everything he can to fill my life with love, family, and security. I need those things now more than ever.

Fountain of Youth, or Valley of Death? While eating his supper of microwave popcorn, PhD student-genius Salinger Jacobs is grabbed from his apartment in California, stuck on a C-130 military plane, and sent to the Sahara Desert to witness the reality of the ZOO for himself. With the life expectancy of untrained scientists working inside the ZOO measured in hours, he has a lot to learn. Fast. First order of business? How do you shoot a gun, and just how much is that plant worth? 

While crossing the desert with the caravan, Hadjar got involved in the search for the library of Mage City, where the elixir that could turn a person into a god was stored. After fighting against the desert bandits, he and his friend Einen suddenly entered Underworld City thanks to Serra's amulets. How many stories and legends he'd heard from South Wind and Serra about it! How many times had he dreamed of coming there and talking to the Sage? How will this mysterious city welcome Hadjar? 

On July 1, 1959, at Ypsilanti State Hospital in Michigan, the social psychologist Milton Rokeach brought together three paranoid schizophrenics: Clyde Benson, an elderly farmer and alcoholic; Joseph Cassel, a failed writer who was institutionalized after increasingly violent behavior toward his family; and Leon Gabor, a college dropout and veteran of World War II. The men had one thing in common: each believed himself to be Jesus Christ.

The White Dragon region has been left behind. His oaths and obligations there have been fulfilled. Now it is time to look ahead. What awaits our dauntless protagonist? A gray sky, one where the stars never shine, is overhead. A white sand made of ground bones is underfoot. That is the horror of the Demon Lands. But the dragon's heart in his chest will not give in, and it will keep beating steadily. He will not falter.

Dark clouds continue to gather over the small principality of Liechtenstein. Or, more precisely, over its citizens, the common people. The aristocrats and authorities have been weaving their little schemes, and the rebels are still pursuing their own ends. All of them hide behind eloquent...

It seems that my former power is gradually returning to me in my new body. I still have all my past experience, however, and everything is proceeding just as it should. How quickly can I earn money and build my reputation? No, I'm not going to resort to killing and looting. I'm an Architect, after all! I'm going to craft and build things! That's how Architects work! The time has come to rebuild my empire. So . . . I might end up having to do some killing and looting, after all. I'm not short of enemies . . .

The hardest part is behind me, it seems. I'm no longer a kindergartner. I've got money, allies, and, most importantly, a reputation. Yet, the further you rise, the more challenges the Universe throws your way, and the more powerful your foes become as they emerge over the horizon. That just makes life more interesting, however. I've got a plan. And I'm going to follow it to the letter....

During the pandemic, our homes and apartments have transported us to new places, different experiences, and changed our understanding of ourselves and others. This collection of 12 tales explores those journeys through the lens of fantasy and science fiction, accentuating the strange and unexpected to reveal the relatable, human dimensions of our continuing migration from what’s normal to a new normal...or even paranormal.

The history of our world tends to move along a shallow spiral - when completing a turn, you end up mighty close to where you started. The history of Second World, in contrast, seems to have simplified its path to a ring from which there is no apparent way out. An unforeseen invasion lays waste to whole provinces, prompting the game's most powerful clans to ally with the emperor's guard to stop the monstrous hordes in their tracks. A war erupts that nobody saw coming, shattering the tedium of peaceful life.

The dark forces of Drakfort have seized Valhadria-and it's up to the few students who remain free to retake it. But Drakfort's iron grip extends far beyond the floating islands of Valhadria. With the help of the Grand Council, the entire realm is now under their thumb. Basch and his friends need to tread carefully as they seek out the tools-the magics-that will turn the fight against Drakfort in their favor.

His indestructible will cracked, his advance that no army could've stopped faltered, his sword, raised against the gods themselves, was brought low . . . Who was he? Where was he going? The Ruby Mountains were right in front of him, and his path was clear, but his very soul had been plunged into utter darkness. Will Hadjar be able to find a way out? Will he be able to come back to the light? Or will the endless abyss devour him? His dragon heart was beating slower and slower . . .

Here, for the first time, is a collection of short speeches by the charismatic doctor and social activist Paul Farmer. One of the most passionate and influential voices for global health equity and social justice, Farmer encourages young people to tackle the greatest challenges of our times. Engaging, often humorous, and always inspiring, these speeches bring to light the brilliance and force of Farmer's vision in a single, accessible volume.

Hadjar survived the bloody war for the throne of his homeland. He fought against monsters and enemies that made entire generations tremble in fear. He traversed the vast Sea of Sand, found the mythical Mage City, and witnessed the destruction of an ancient civilization. Then, in the pursuit of knowledge, Hadjar came to Dahanatan, the capital of the Empire.

The alien race known as the Ancients vanished before Earth's last ice age - but not before building interconnected rings that form a highway system across the galaxy. Humanity has used these rings for years but has never figured out how to build its own, or even how to alter the connection pattern. Now, the Imperial starship Pandora is on a mission to discover and explore new interstellar connection points. While on Venus, an unexpected guest arrives - Marvin, a rogue robot who puts his strange mind to work on reconnecting the rings into a new pattern. Everything goes haywire.

Former Marine Captain Alexander Hale only wanted a weekend out with some old buddies. He could have done without the gang war, the shootout, and...oh yeah, the alien abduction. Now he's in the middle of something he doesn't understand, never asked for, and is having quite possibly the greatest time of his life. Semper Fi and which way are the shores of Tripoli anyway?

Tristan Montague has had his ability to cast magic broken. When his confrontation with Edith and Verity leave him unable to access his magic, he must seek out another technique to regain his access. He must learn the Restoring Palm. Now, together with Simon and the help of a dark mage, they must seek out someone who knows the technique and is willing to teach it to Tristan.