Showing results by narrator "Grant Cartwright" in All Categories

Miss Phoebe Astin of The Economic Undertaker is not just a talented mortician, but a medium for the spirit world and often enjoys the company of her clients before they move on to the next world. When her funeral director brothers, Julius and Ambrose, bring the deceased Mrs. Henriette Tochborn to her workroom, there is much interest as the lady was quite well known for her tragedy—twenty years prior, her child was kidnapped and never found.

My name is Charlotte Locke, and I’m an analyst for Section 47, a secret government agency that tracks terrorists, criminals, and other paramortal bad guys who want to unleash their abilities on an unsuspecting mortal world. I have a magical form of synesthesia that senses danger and uncovers lies - making me a stealthy operative. I’m trudging through another day when one of Section’s cleaners - assassins - takes an interest in me. I don’t need my synesthesia to realize that he is extremely dangerous.

Miss Phoebe Astin of The Economic Undertaker has applied her mortician skills to many faces, but a beautiful young debutante needed little work, or so she thought. When the debutante's spirit appears to her, insisting she was murdered and demanding Phoebe do something about it, Phoebe agrees. She has, after all, helped many of her ghostly clients before they move on to the next world.

Once there were three worlds, each with their own human species. Then, fleeing out of the void came a fourth species, the Charon. Desperate, on the edge of extinction, they changed the balance between the worlds forever. Karan, a sensitive with a troubled heritage, is forced to steal an ancient relic in repayment of a debt. It turns out to be the Mirror of Aachan, a twisted, deceitful thing that remembers everything it has ever seen.

After his last boyfriend turned out to be a cheat, Liam Connelly has no interest in dating again, but his parents are determined to see him paired off. When they come to visit, he hires Ambrose to act as his boyfriend. If Ambrose can be a bad boyfriend, he can be a tolerable one too, right? But Ambrose plays the part too well and scores an invitation to spend the Easter weekend with the Connolly family at their winery, and Liam finds himself developing real affection for his fake boyfriend.

The most terrifying thing that you can possibly imagine is your own body in the hands of a monster. Or worse, in the hands of another human being. In this definitive anthology of body horror selected by a World Horror Grandmaster, you'll find the unthinkable and the shocking: a couture designer preparing for an exquisitely grotesque runway show; a vengeful son seeking the parent who bred him as plasma donor; a celebrity-kink brothel that inflicts plastic surgery on sex workers; and organ-harvesting doctors who dissect a living man without anesthetic.

As the Synth-Hastur begin to exterminate life in the Milky Way, the crew of the Deus Ex faces the monumental challenge of stopping their advance. Yet, as they embark on their mission, they discover the galaxy they once knew has undergone unexpected changes. An old adversary resurfaces with an agenda that will turn the Galactic Federation itself against them. On the run from everything they've ever known, grappling with hidden truths and conflicting loyalties, the shakedowners with a knack for the unconventional embark on a journey to safeguard the galaxy.

With acuity, humor, and respect for human diversity, The Shortest History of Sex reveals where the many facets of our sexuality—chemical, anatomical, behavioral, social—come from. Chasing down our evolutionary family tree, from the first aquatic creatures to primate societies, David Baker sheds light on our baffling array of passions, impulses, and fetishes, and guides us toward a clear understanding of one of the deepest, most abiding forces of human nature.

Miss Phoebe Astin and her brothers, Julius and Ambrose, lead an unconventional life working in the family funeral business, The Economic Undertaker. But Phoebe is not just a talented mortician; she is a medium for the spirit world, and often enjoys the company of her clients before they move on to the next world. When a gentleman lingers behind before passing over to the other side and begs her to investigate his murder, Phoebe contacts her brother's friend, Detective Harland Stone, to explain her concerns.

Maps of Narrative Practice provides brand new practical and accessible accounts of the major areas of narrative practice that White has developed and taught over the years, so that listeners may feel confident when utilizing this approach in their practices. The book covers each of the five main areas of narrative practice - re-authoring conversations, remembering conversations, scaffolding conversations, definitional ceremony, externalizing conversations, and rite of passage maps.

Benji: Crafting swoon-worthy happily ever afters is literally my day job. Being a quirky introvert with an overactive imagination, underwhelming social skills, and a few pounds overweight, I'm no leading man. My best friend, though? He's total cover model, call the plumber because I just flooded my basement material. He's also outgoing, charismatic, free-spirited, and basically the best guy ever. I may know romance, but I'm no dummy when it comes to reality. I'm nothing special. And the truth is, a guy like Darren would never fall for someone like me.

To me, that's all Lucian Aston is—a highly sophisticated, posh Englishman who stars in my daydreams. Mostly because of the way he views me as a loud, boisterous, no-nonsense surgical nurse he's stuck touring London and Paris with up to the day of his groundbreaking surgery. Until then, we've got a lot of downtime to kill. So, it's only natural that I put my best foot forward to get to know him a little better. Problem is Lucian has no intention of taking a single step in his fancy wingtips to meet me halfway. That is until we strike our deal.

The thrilling third instalment in the Millennium's Rule series by international number one best-selling fantasy phenomenon Trudi Canavan. Five years have passed since the Rebels confronted the Raen. Five years, in which the boy Rielle rescued, Qall, has grown up among the Travellers, with no memory of the life that was stolen from him. Five years of chaos, barely contained by Baluka and the Restorers. Worlds are at war, some overrun by deadly machines, some drained of magic by power-hungry sorcerers.

Authoritarianism is one of the buzzwords of our age. But what is it exactly? This Very Short Introduction provides a comprehensive overview of the world of authoritarian regimes, including military, single-party, and personalist regimes. It considers how understandings of authoritarianism have evolved over time, as well as the curious fact that many authoritarian regimes today hold elections. Drawing on examples from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, James Loxton examines the life cycle of authoritarian regimes.

This tumultuous global story begins with democracy's radical core idea: We can collaborate, as equals, to determine our own lives and futures. John Keane traces how this concept emerged and evolved, from the earliest "assembly democracies" to European-style electoral democracy to our present system of "monitory democracy." Keane calls this media- and communication-driven system "the most complex and vibrant form of democracy yet"—but it is not invulnerable. At this urgent moment, Keane's book mounts a new defense of a precious global ideal.

Life in the undersea Kingdom of Mayim is even more brutal than the one Mel has lived on land. Worse, her sisters are still at the mercy of Madame while she is trapped a world away. Helpless. Ari may be her only hope, if she can get past the lies he tells and the secrets he keeps. Meanwhile, Aika and Zaina are headed to take down the monster who raised them, but there are no good choices where Madame is concerned. They might be able to plan the perfect attack, but not without a price. After all, can you really slay a beast without becoming one yourself?

Virtual reality is genuine reality; that’s the central thesis of Reality+. In a highly original work of “technophilosophy,” David J. Chalmers gives a compelling analysis of our technological future. He argues that virtual worlds are not second-class worlds, and that we can live a meaningful life in virtual reality. We may even be in a virtual world already.

Through the skillful application of being barely competent, Captain Iridius B. Franklin and the crew of the FSC Deus Ex have managed to triumph in not just one adventure but two. Unfortunately, despite being assured this sort of thing doesn't happen to space adventurers nearly as often as is assumed, Iridius and his crew have been flung almost a year back in time. Now, in order to stop an existential threat to the galaxy and ensure they don't cause irreparable damage to the space-time continuum, the crew of the Deus Ex must set out to find their way back to the future.

The Russo-Ukraine War is a vital learning opportunity for military strategists across the globe. The first and clearest lesson to be gleaned from it is this: the soundness of a military's strategy and the nimbleness with which it can adapt to unforeseen circumstances are the two most important factors in deciding victory or defeat. The War for Ukraine analyzes the war through these twin lenses of strategy and adaptation, detailing how each army has succeeded or failed to plan for and adapt to this twenty-first century war.

There were six of us: the master, the apprentices and the white elephant. We built everything together ...Sixteenth century Istanbul: a stowaway arrives in the city bearing an extraordinary gift for the Sultan. The boy is utterly alone in a foreign land, with no worldly possessions to his name except Chota, a rare and valuable white elephant destined for the palace menagerie. So begins an epic adventure that will see young Jahan rise from lowly origins to the highest ranks of the Sultan's court.