Showing results by narrator "Joe Hempel" in All Categories

Casey's cabin in the wilderness is not built for a hurricane. Her roof shakes, the lights flicker, and the tree outside her front door sways ominously in the wind. But she's a lot more worried about the girl she discovers lurking outside her kitchen window. She's young. She's alone. And she's covered in blood.

Leonidas Paendrag has survived his first harrowing weeks after returning to Earth from his Transmigration to Elatra, and now must find out what it means to be the First Archon of Terran Blood. Armed with his [Cataclysm Core], accompanied by an elven Princess-Royal, a haughty Dragonblood Sorceress, a Viking-obsessed Shadowblade, and an introverted elven Healer, he must brave the [Rite of Ascension].

From prolific fantasy author James E. Wisher comes the final book in Aegis of Merlin Urban Fantasy Series.A murderer is on the loose in Central City and he’s marking his victims with the Reaper’s scythe.As the Reaper’s chosen representative on Earth, Conryu can’t overlook such an insult...

Thomas Austin was once a prominent NYPD detective, known for locking up a psychopathic serial killer dubbed "The Holiday Baby Butcher". Now retired in a small beach town in the Pacific Northwest, Austin runs a little café, trying to overcome the loss of his wife, a DA who was gunned down only one year ago.

The woods and forests can be a true dichotomy of experiences. For many they offer a peaceful connection to nature, but for some they have been a source of terror. In the shadows of towering trees and hidden in the brush, these unlucky few have encountered creatures or monsters that most think only inhabit our nightmares. Steve Stockton, a veteran outdoorsman and paranormal researcher, has put together a vast collection of over eighty terrifying, odd and strange encounters. These chilling tales may leave you questioning whether you ever want to journey into the woods again.

Leonidas Paendrag spent five years in another world to defeat the Demon Lord and his literal armies of Hell, only for the final battle to unexpectedly send him back to Earth. Denied the rest he desperately wanted, he is instead thrust into a world of emerging fantasy races, warring human factions, and a dysfunctional family more intent on killing each other than the monsters roaming the planet.

College professor Stephen Barlow needs cash. Badly. He puts his skepticism aside and signs on to a paranormal research organization in the hopes of scoring a fat bonus. Enter Chaythe Asylum: a long-shuttered and controversial institution where patients were allegedly subjected to unethical experiments. Stephen deems the old building, closed in 1989 after a series of grisly murders, as good a place as any to explore the possibility of the supernatural, and arranges to take a tour with his students. But it turns out that the asylum is not as abandoned as it seems. There is something sinister in the building.

In 1993, Fox debuted a strange new television show called The X-Files. Little did anyone suspect that the series would become one of the network's biggest hits - and change the landscape of television in the process. Now, on the occasion of the show's 25th anniversary, TV critics Zack Handlen and Todd VanDerWerff unpack exactly what made this haunting show so groundbreaking. Witty and insightful reviews of every episode of the series, revised and updated from the authors' popular A.V. Club recaps, leave no mystery unsolved and no monster unexplained. 

A collection of twelve spine-tingling short stories of cursed curios that bring misfortune, madness and death upon their owners, penned by modern masters of the weird and uncanny. Sometimes your possessions own you. Delve into twelve terrifying stories that reimagine a tradition that stretches...

A must-listen fantasy novel from the author of the Soul Force Saga series.

Eventually, every story comes to an end. Thomas Austin has three weeks until his daughter is born. Three weeks to finish the nursery, keep the peace at home, and finally put the badge away for good. Then a priest is found murdered inside a confessional at St. Thomas Cathedral overlooking Elliott Bay. His throat has been cut and a decades-old NYPD case file placed beside the body. And on his right palm, a single carved word: AUSTIN. The file is from Austin’s first homicide as a rookie cop, the case that sent serial killer Alexi Chronich to prison for life.

The nine narrative episodes of Volume Four of the Emmy® Award-winning Netflix Original series Love, Death + Robots. Featuring bestselling authors and screenwriters from all over the globe, curated by filmmakers Tim Miller and David Fincher, and Supervising Director Jennifer Yuh Nelson. Introduction by John Scalzi, with stories by John Scalzi, Stant Litore, Siobhan Carroll, Bruce Sterling, John McNichol, Dave Hutchinson, Marc Laidlaw, and Robert Bisi & Andy Lyon.

Dark, transgressive, and deeply unsettling, Woom is a disturbing splatterpunk horror story set at the Lonely Motel, where Angel enters the infamous Room 6 and uncovers a grotesque history of death, trauma, and transgressive secrets. "I believe pain lingers," Angel said. "Do I believe in spirits?...

The Starship Atlantis takes you on an unforgettable journey through the extraordinary. From alien civilizations and rogue AI to desperate missions on the brink of collapse, these stories will transport you across the stars into the heart of the unknown. This anthology features six never-before-published novellas and short stories, plus two exclusive bonus tales.

Beyond simple small talk: what to say and when to say it to be likable, connect, and make a memorable impression. Actionable and applicable verbal maneuvers for just about every phase of conversation - good and bad. Whatever your conversational goal, you’ll find tactics to put you in a winning position - in a literal sense with arguments, and in a figurative sense with making friends. You can never underestimate the power of a simple conversation.

For more than a century, professional wrestling has cultivated some of the most eccentric and compelling personalities. As the embodiment of flamboyance and intensity, the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair stood at wrestling's apex for decades, cementing his place as a once-in-a-lifetime athlete and performer. When he was in the ring, fans knew they were witnessing the very best, and he not only became a multi-time world heavyweight champion in the NWA, WCW, and the WWE, but his status as a generational great has been confirmed with inductions into numerous Halls of Fame.

Across the Pacific Northwest, a twisted killer stalks victims representing ancient archetypes: The Ruler. The Warrior. The Scholar. The Priest. Four are dead, leaving FBI investigators puzzled by the macabre, color-coded shrines the killer left behind. And clues now point to a fifth victim.

Otto Shenk is the youngest son of a minor baron. He's also a wizard. Abused by his family and considered less than human by his kingdom, Otto does his best to survive. But everything changes when Otto stumbles across a tower hidden deep in a dark part of the forest near his home. A tower that was once the home of an Arcane Lord, the immortal wizards that long ago ruled the world. Otto’s life will be changed forever. And so will the world.

Familial Reflections: An anthology of familial horror reflecting love/hate, light/dark, good/evil.Terrifying stories by Richard Thomas, Michael Bailey, Stephen King, Richard Chizmar, Justin Zimmerman and Mercedes M Yardley.Chilling poetry by Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi, Wrath James White, Maxwell I...

Never fall in love with a sports star. That's what my stepfather always said. He told me athletes are complicated and moody - that the higher their paycheck, the lower their morals. As public relations for the New York Stingers, I know exactly what he means, but I can’t seem to say no to a friendship with one beautiful, damaged man. What started out as hate turned into something else. We tried to stay away, to keep our distance, but the pull was too strong.