Showing results by narrator "Joe Hempel" in All Categories

All Marcus Drake wanted was a nice, quiet vacation with his best friend, Solomon Keys, and his girlfriend, Iaka Kazumi. He figured two weeks on Pleasure Planet Four would be perfect. But things never seem to work out the way Marcus plans. They’ve barely settled in when Solomon gets kidnapped.

By-the-book Detective Asante Royo can only sweep up Fall River’s filth for so long without getting dirty. When he’s called to an apparent suicide at an apartment complex notorious for its prostitution racket and drug trade, he doesn’t shed a tear for the life wasted. Yet, something about the scene haunts his thoughts, and when his investigation gets swept under the rug, he has a hard time living with its stain.

Iaka Kazumi is enjoying her life as a research scientist, at least until her former Earth Force boss calls. Iaka finds herself dragged back into the dangerous world of espionage and running for her life. Marcus Drake and Solomon Keys rush to try and save her before it’s too late. Hunted by black-masked assassins while on the trail of a dangerous techno-cult, Marcus, Solomon, and Iaka crisscross the galaxy in an attempt to save the Earth from a dark fate. An old enemy becomes an ally, and the final battle will leave the Earth changed forever.

When a distress beacon far off the main trade routes appears on the scanner, they stop to investigate. The source, a large ship with a gaping hole in the hull, drifts dead in space. Aboard the derelict ship, floating millions of miles from the nearest civilization, a single woman, Earth Force Agent Iaka Kazumi, survives in a sealed cryochamber. When Marcus wakes Iaka, he steps into a conspiracy that could take down the entire Earth government. Marcus, Solomon, and Iaka soon find themselves on the run from Earth Force agents who want them silenced, permanently.

Tech Trends 24/7 and the Impact of COVID-19 is a game-changing book. During this decade, we will experience the greatest change in technology innovation in history driven by massive technology disruption that has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. These technology forces will have a riveting effect on our everyday personal and business lives. Tech Trends 24/7 and the Impact of COVID-19 provides a captivating, fast-paced tour on how technology innovation is enhancing our world covering important technologies.

A woman’s body is found floating in a sultry Florida mangrove. She has no ID, and there is no indication of cause of death. Who is she? Who killed her? Everyone has dark secrets that will be revealed. Rookie Detective Tom Lange couldn’t have landed a more difficult first case. The only thing he has to go on is the woman’s butterfly tattoo. His boss, Lauren Blythe, piles the pressure on, and the medical examiner won’t tell him what he needs to know.

A hurricane is due to hit Florida hard. Two men take the opportunity to rob an expensive home. Surprised by neighbors, the burglars kill two people...and seven-year-old girl Lemon Madras disappears. Is the little girl dead or alive? Agent Tom Lange is taken off suspension and brought in to find her.

On her drive to work, Heather Moss gets a phone call that will turn her life upside-down. The caller knows where her kids are, what they are wearing, and even what Heather is doing herself at that very moment. If she doesn’t do what he wants, her two little girls will die. Then an inmate dies in the county jail. He was a witness who could have brought down notorious criminal Mario Palumbo.

When a bandit raid destroys his home, Gabriel Kane believes his whole family is killed in the fire. Burdened by guilt, he dedicates his life to bringing those responsible to justice. Xander Kane has a secret place, a crawlspace under the kitchen perfect for stealing snacks. When the bandits attack Xander is trapped by the flames. Xander emerges hours later scarred and near death, his whole world reduced to ashes. Blind with rage, Xander dedicates his life to killing those responsible.

John Rast went to the Ren Faire looking for a fight. Well, a simulated fight, with blunt swords and safety equipment. But when his final opponent turns into a living, fire-breathing dragon, John finds himself in the fight of his life. It's John or nothing stopping a disaster in its tracks - and the only real weapon at hand is his mom's Volvo. So John decides to let it roll....

In this dark and hilarious new adventure, Andrew has started up a private investigation business with his best friend Roger (slogan: "We Solve Weird Problems"). Since his options in life will become somewhat more limited after his wife Helen gives birth to triplets, it's his last-ditch effort to get out of being stuck with a corporate day job. One of their first clients is an attractive woman named Shirley. Keeping with the kind of luck Andrew has had his entire life, her problem is: "I think I may be a serial killer".

Death stalks the living. Seven writers have fled to Mirror House, a picturesque mansion by the sea. Each member of the group is running from a terrible premonition of their own death on July 24. What they don’t know is they were, in fact, prophesizing the end of the world, for on that very day, billions will die from a relentless heatwave triggered by global warming.

Seven writers have fled to Mirror House, a picturesque mansion by the sea. Each member of the group is running from a terrible premonition of their own death on July 24th. What they don’t know is they were, in fact, prophesizing the end of the world, for on that very day, billions will die from a relentless heatwave triggered by global warming.

Meet the new, improved Andrew Mayhem. He has a real job. He’s a better father and husband. And he’s vowed to quit accepting money from strange women in coffee shops to perform tasks that go terribly, terribly wrong. This time, he’s just taking a relaxing camping trip with his family and best friend. No shortcuts. The gas tank is full. The sinister warning of the crazy old man is taken seriously. Unfortunately, when you’re Andrew Mayhem, you just can’t help being attacked by a group of savage killers bent on inflicting ghastly torture and bringing horrific death.

You steal from your heroes and you plan all you want, and yet you are still standing in the same place. Why We Don’t Achieve Sh*t will outline exactly why you are more than capable and yet, fail to see your goals through to the end. Toxic friendships, negotiable goals, procrastination, and lack of deadlines - Why We Don’t Achieve Sh*t addresses why you aren’t getting what you deserve and how to opt out of this loop. That is, unless you’re seriously not sick and tired of this sh*t yet. Everyone else is.

Early in their three decades of correspondence, Neil Peart sent Kevin J. Anderson extensive descriptions and travelogues of his adventures bicycling solo across Africa. Peart painted a vivid and unsettling landscape as memorable as the lyrics to his songs. Anderson, award-winning and best-selling fantasy and science fiction author, used those descriptions as the backdrop for plotting an intense, atmospheric dark fantasy story that followed Peart’s experiences, though with a much more ominous twist.

Tim's a streetwise detective, investigating the death of a homeless woman on his turf. Paired with grizzled veteran Gabe, they have to determine if the murder is a one-off, or if something more sinister is afoot. The trouble is, Tim doesn't always play by Gabe's rules. Nikki's past made her strong. Survival has been her goal since she was a girl, and it's the one thing the killer never counted on. She'll need to use everything she's learned if she doesn't want to become his next victim. Will the detectives overcome their differences and piece the grim puzzle together?

Seven writers meet for a weekend retreat at a remote beach house. Each of the frightened men and women share the same terror: They have all prophesied their own death on July 24 and hope together they can avoid their fate. Mirror House, a rambling mansion filled with an icy wind from subterranean tunnels, appears to be the perfect escape from a record-breaking heatwave as well as their untimely deaths.

Sebastian “Seb” McAlister has run out of luck in Vegas. Cornered by a trigger-happy gang and shot through the stomach, he makes a desperate escape in his supercharged Hellcat. Fate guides Seb safely out of Sin City and into the desert, but as his wheels fade into the horizon, he fades into darkness. He awakes among a tiny community in the middle of nowhere. A mountain range circles the hodgepodge of shacks like prison walls looming high. And the warden that resides in those mountains is big, ugly, and deadly - a creature straight out of a Lovecraftian nightmare.

In the August heat they frolicked on the beaches, fetched sticks, played with the children. Then the summer dwellers left, abandoning them to the island's harsh winter. Ravenous hunger and violent rage have brought them together under a cunning, ferocious leader. Man has betrayed his best friend - now the dogs will have their day. It's a bitter winter, and the dogs of summer have grown hungry...and vicious!