Showing results by narrator "Eric Michael Summerer" in All Categories

Life is simple in Ben's small town until an attack brings the arrival of exciting strangers straight out of a story. Before Ben understands what is happening, he embarks on a dangerous journey to help his friends. A mage, demons, thieves, and assassins are just a few of the perils he will face while trying to make it to safety. But things aren't always what they seem, and safety is a fragile concept when the destructive behaviors of the powerful are exercised unchecked.

How does art work? How does it move us, inform us, challenge us? Internationally renowned painter David Salle's incisive essay collection illuminates the work of many of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Engaging with a wide range of Salle's friends and contemporaries - from painters to conceptual artists such as Jeff Koons, John Baldessari, Roy Lichtenstein, and Alex Katz, among others - How to See explores not only the multilayered personalities of the artists themselves but also the distinctive character of their oeuvres.

The demon invaders would reach Earth in a few short years, so why did it seem like humans were determined to destroy themselves before the enemy arrived? World War III was going to happen. It was only a matter of when. Nathanial Kane had enough to worry about, but the death of a billion people wasn't something he could ignore. His allies were growing in number. Involving them would endanger them before they'd fully developed. The world would need their talents when the demons arrived. What can one man do? Was it possible for him to advance far enough and fast enough to make a difference?

Juniper Smith is finally starting to feel at home in this new world. Everywhere he looks are familiar pieces of the game worlds he used to make back on Earth. The last druid has died, and with her, a rare and precious magic is slowly seeping its way out of the world. The ritual to bring her back as an infant only requires a little messing around with devils and simply hacking the game system on his soul, which is practically routine, but to speed the process along will be another matter entirely.

When Malia Kwan exhibits unusual abilities, government agents show up at her home to apprehend her and her twin brother, Jaden - and all hell breaks loose. After their parents are killed, Jaden and Malia flee into the night, becoming fugitives. Before long, they discover their true identities are tied to the lost city of Atlantis - and to the origins of humanity itself. And now a threat emerges that could wipe out the entire human race - unless Jaden and Malia can stop it! 

The worst of rivals, closest of friends, the two most wanted men in a war-torn world: Kandri and Mektu Hinjuman have cheated death so often it's begun to feel like a way of life. But nothing has prepared them for the danger and enchantment of the Ravenous Lands. This sprawling, lethal desert is the brothers' last hope, for they have killed the favorite son of Her Radiance the Prophet, and her death-priests and magical servants are hunting them.

I did it. It took a lot of sweat and coin, but I managed to bring the Karl back to a functioning dungeon. With my adventuring shop running in full swing, now's the time for the second part of my plan: building New Valley. All that's left for me to do is wait for the lumber I ordered to arrive so I can stake the land, start expanding, and… What? What did you say? My cargo's been stolen? As I start investigating the incident, it becomes increasingly clear that someone's been sabotaging my efforts on purpose.

Chosen by the enigmatic deity Oberon to be a soldier in a war between good and evil, Zeke Blackwood has become one of the deadliest warriors in the Radiant Isles. With supernatural strength and otherworldly resilience, he’s carved a path of destruction through the realm, defeating both horrifying monsters and skilled sorcerers and acquiring devastating powers no mere human could ever hope to control. Determined to apply his abilities to protecting his companions, Zeke has run afoul of the Isles’ elite—otherworldly beings revered as demigods.

I have been in love with my brother's best friend for as long as I can remember. And he has no idea. He doesn't see me the way I see him. He doesn't see past the platonic friendship we've built since we were little. Miles Cooper is destined for greatness, on the path to NFL glory, only behind his superstar facade hides a dark secret. One I never thought possible. Now, he needs me in a way that could break my naive heart. But isn't it better to have loved and lost than never loved at all?

All Trades, Inc. had cemented itself as the biggest and best business around. If you wanted armor, weapons, potions, or anything else you might possibly need on an adventure, nobody did it better. Unfortunately, a company in the real world took notice and decided they wanted what Jack had. When he said no, things turned ugly.

Though the Abyss beckons to Hal, an old foe resurfaces. Poisoning his home, the Shadesblight cannot be ignored. The Tower of Blight will corrupt the entirety of the Shiverglades if Hal does not stop it. With bitter winter setting in, Hal will have to battle not only the corruption on his doorstep but the very elements themselves. As the armies of the Twelve Tribes march on Brightsong, Hal and his allies don't have the luxury of time to deal with the Tower. Every floor presents life-or-death battles, even as loot and new monster powers dangle like bait. But there is a silver lining.

Marty Friedman's upbringing was as atypical as his career. Growing up in a Jewish household in Maryland, the son of an NSA executive, he lacked motivation until he discovered the guitar. Enjoying a hazy adolescence overflowing with partying, music, and teen antics, he achieved local stardom in Deuce, then burst onto the national scene by pioneering a radically new style of playing, bringing attention to the guitar aficionado label, Shrapnel Records. Friedman moved to California and scored a gig in Megadeth.

To his dwarven captors, Zeke Blackwood is just another slave working the mines. They're unaware he's a Cambion, or human-demon hybrid, who's been charged with increasing his power as he battles the monstrous beings beneath the mountains of Min Ferilik. Forced by the dwarves into hard labor, gladiatorial games, and dangerous quests, Zeke continues to grow more powerful, becoming a champion meant for deployment in a forthcoming war between good and evil.

Alex - a.k.a. Jack Alltrades - just wanted to play a game and make some money for himself and his family. After a string of incredible luck and a few wise decisions, he finds himself responsible for an entire company based in the game. It's not all rainbows and gold coins, though. Real life threats, angry NPC merchants, and shady deals with the elves and dwarves are giving Jack a massive headache.

Lieutenant Travis Long of the Royal Manticoran Navy is the sort of person who likes an orderly universe. One where people follow the rules. Unfortunately, he lives in the real universe. The good news is that Travis is one of those rare people who may like rules but has a talent for thinking outside them when everything starts coming apart. That talent has stood him - and the Star Kingdom - in good stead in the past, and it's one reason he's now a "mustang," an ex-enlisted man who's been given a commission.

Anson Lowell has found himself trapped somewhere he never thought possible . . . inside a kaiju! More than that, he now controls the kaiju and quickly learns that the dangers that are destroying Earth are the least of humanity's problems. With the Ebony Man on the loose, and extraterrestrial threats heading to destroy the planet, Lowell, VanderVoort, Lu Morgan, Connor Bolton, and the rest of the ragtag team of survivors, must race against the clock to salvage what is left of humanity before the biggest threat Earth has ever seen arrives . . .

The Kobani use captured Krall ships to return to Human Space. They seek expert training for their genetically modified fighters, modern weapons and new medical technology. There's a possible block to this help in the form of death penalty laws of the Planetary Union, prohibiting gene modifications of humans. A holdover from the Gene War, which nearly extinguished humanity. A perilous descent through a war torn planet's space defenses is a first step.

Blind dates? Online dating profiles? Been there, done that. Georgia Cummings has zero luck with dating, and the era of the Internet is not her friend. No matter how fast she runs, how many corners she turns, she can't find her way out of this weird, alternate universe where men think dick pics are a replacement for small talk and getting to know a girl. One more crotch selfie and she might write men off for good. But why can't she stop fantasizing about him?

Juniper Smith is trapped in a prison that seems to be of his own design. Everywhere he looks are bits and pieces of the game worlds he used to make back on Earth. Now, he finds himself on the run from the law and helping out criminals, looking for magical solutions to centuries-old magical spirits trapped in bottles. Can he trust an elf that's been locked away since the bad old days of the Second Empire? Danger lurks around every corner, and trust is hard to come by, even within the party that grows more like family with every passing day.

When Mia Corelli returns to Alabama for a summer of fun with her childhood best friend, Tessa, there's only one thing keeping her on edge - one person she'd do anything to avoid. That person is Benjamin Kelly, the world's biggest dickhead.