Showing results by narrator "Laurie Catherine Winkel" in All Categories

In the latter half of the 21st century, Alexander and his guild mates play Io Online for fun and to earn a living. Given the chance to test a new experimental immersion system, the veteran players must give up their high-level characters and begin again at level one. As they work through the noob zone quests, they discover that the new immersion system allows them to play in ways that hadn't been possible before. They quickly run afoul of a party of player killers and become the targets of an entire PK guild bent on spawn-camping them until they leave the game. War has been declared.

Paris, 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

In fifth grade my teacher set us up with pen pals from a different school. Thinking I was a girl, with a name like Misha, the other teacher paired me up with her student Ryen. My teacher, believing Ryen was a boy like me, agreed. It didn't take long for us to figure out the mistake. And in no time at all, we were arguing about everything. The best take-out pizza. Android vs. iPhone. Whether or not Eminem is the greatest rapper ever. For the next seven years, it was us. She's the only one who keeps me on track, talks me down, and accepts everything I am.

After experimenting with an exploit, Vincent begins to develop new spells that will take him higher in the game than he ever thought possible. Unfortunately, he crosses paths with the last moderator, a young man named Lucas that uses his mod abilities to torture and subjugate other players. Lucas is willing to abuse his power to conquer the World-Tree, but Vincent’s exploit might just be the key to stopping him.

A few minutes ago, Meghan Moretti's biggest concern was getting the kids' athletic clothes washed in time for practice this evening. Now, it seems that Earth has been forced into participating in some high-stakes intergalactic reality television. All electrical wiring has been slagged, and most combustibles neutralized. Some kind of evil space rodents are appearing on the front lawn, too.

Morgan Mackenzie had a very bad day. First at work, then at home, and then her bathtub fell through a portal to another world, with her in it. Now she's stuck thousands of miles from any sort of civilization with nothing but the bathtub and a lace puffball scrubby. But she learned magic, so that's sorta nice. Now if only she could find some clothes....

Sadomasochism. Obsession. Death. A whirlpool of darkness churns at the heart of a macabre ballet between two lonely young women in an internet chat room in the early 2000s - a darkness that threatens to forever transform them once they finally succumb to their most horrific desires. What have you done today to deserve your eyes?

The dungeon cores are dying. In the wake of the demon invasion, dungeons are being exterminated to protect the land. The Cult of Chaos may have been defeated, but the Exalted One remains in the shadows, pulling the strings. Now, his time has come. Ryan, struggling with memories of his life as a human, finds himself once again under threat from the Church.

Gideon Caldwell is a less than successful indie author barely making ends meet in his crummy basement apartment in New Haven, Connecticut, when a beautiful woman mysteriously appears at his doorstep.

After kicking an unholy amount of undead ass, Hector and his dragon have new goal: to revive the war-torn province of Myzsno, preferably before their nemesis arrives with his army and a legion of Drachan, demonic dragons that would make even H. P. Lovecraft scream in terror.

Alexander and the Greystone Guild are expanding their territory. Building up the keep, conquering new lands, and recruiting citizens of all races. And when they've prepared enough, they plan on taking the fight to the minions of the Dark One in their own strongholds. New friends are discovered, and alliances are made. Tragedy befalls one of the group, and the Dark One's identity is finally discovered.

Noah Becker is nothing but trouble. That's what Mama told me when I was a kid, kicking his pew in church and giggling at the games we'd play. It's what the town said when his father died and the Becker brothers went wild. And it's on repeat in my mind the day I walk into the whiskey distillery where he works to buy a wedding gift for my fiancé.

Shari is a med student, months away from being a doctor. Mace is a coder on his first day of an exciting new job. When the world comes to a sudden and horrifying end, none would have expected them to be among the few survivors. Hyper-aggressive undead zombie creatures hunt anything living on the surface, where even the grass and trees can kill you. Hiding underground is safe, but not much of a life. Their only escape is a virtual world of magic and monsters where Shari can use her healing skills, and Mace can focus on something other than his fears.

Jynn Devhro used to be Earth's lowest-ranked Hunter, one of a breed of enhanced humans trained to fight the monsters terrorizing what's left of mankind. Through rigorous training and death-defying encounters with monsters—along with the help of the vengeance-seeking System grafted onto her soul—she has secretly leveled up, leaving her public ranking untouched. Now, her razor-sharp kindjal at her side, Jynn's ready for battle. But just when things seem to be looking up, it all comes crashing down.

Daniel's Guide to Early Retirement: 1. Intercept illegal money transfer from mafia boss. 2. Hide out in super-exclusive Full Immersion Virtual Reality game until the heat is off. 3. Roll a bard. Max out charisma. Live it up. 4. Profit. With all the pesky planning out of the way, Daniel set out to realize his ultimate dream: gaining enough money to buy a tropical island and spend his days playing the violin and RPGs. What could possibly go wrong?

Events have shown Meghan that protecting her kids also means making sure they're ready to stand on their own when needed. Meghan needs to figure out a way, however, and the aliens won't let her sit down and figure it out. While wrestling these personal dilemmas, she also needs to keep stabilizing her area, find a way to deal with these mysterious new Titans, and deal with some other nasty twists humanity's alien tormentors have in store.

Accidentally married to a human stallion. And I can't even remember our wedding. It's awkward, okay? I didn't plan on waking up hitched to Hubby of the Century. Or one little misadventure erasing every memory of us. No sweet nothings. No ugly cry vows. No flipping honeymoon. But every time I see Flint Calum, I wonder. How did I get so lucky? Let's forget all six-foot-something of his oh-so-bad superdad self. His flashing eyes and SEAL-perfected whip of a body aren't why I'm dizzy.

After Séverin's seeming betrayal, the crew is fractured. Armed with only a handful of hints, Enrique, Laila, Hypnos and Zofia must find their way through the snarled, haunted waterways of Venice, Italy, to locate Séverin. Séverin must balance the deranged whims of the Patriarch of the Fallen House and discover the location of a temple beneath a plague island where the Divine Lyre can be played, and all that he desires will come to pass. With only ten days until Laila expires, the crew will face plague pits, deadly masquerades, unearthly songs, and the shining steps of a temple.

Archibold Stormblood, Visseria’s greatest hero, is finally taking a break. After two centuries spent battling dark lords and saving the world, he figures he’s earned a little peace—or so he hopes. Leaving his legendary past behind, Archibold now lives as an unassuming mortal nineteen-year-old, running the Tipsy Pelican Tavern, where he brews tasty spell-chilled ales and enjoys stories and laughs with his quirky patrons.

King Alexander and his guildmates have expanded Elysia into a formidable kingdom. Their ongoing battle against the Dark One and the drow wizards is escalating. Alexander works to bring together the Elves, Dwarves, and Human Kingdoms to establish the alliance proposed by the Dragon King. But the dark magic of the drow has infiltrated even the highest offices, blocking his efforts. War comes once again to the gates of the keep, and Alexander must find a way to defend his citizens before he can go on the offensive and take the fight to the stronghold of his enemies.