Résultats Éditeur "Spoken Realms" dans Toutes les catégories

Bound by the Mafia’s code of honor, loyalty, and silence, Maria Lombardo has always dreamed of another life. But when her father dies, she must take over from him as head of the Lombardo clan, the most powerful member of the Sicilian Mafia, La Cosa Nostra. On the other side of Palermo, the Amato family’s growing lust for power presents a dangerous problem. Maria is forced to take action that goes against every fiber of her being, or she will lose the respect of her clan. Falling for Simone complicates an already complex situation. 

Escaping the mafia should have been simple. A new life with a new identity in a new location. But that plan was conceived long before Simone captured Maria’s heart. Maria’s love for Simone changes everything. When Maria receives devastating news that sends her world into turmoil, she must overcome her demons and face her toughest adversary to date.

The story of a little girl who, despite tragedy and supported by love, achieved her dream. A tale for all those who dare to dream.

On the back of an unhappy marriage and bitter divorce, stressed-out Ariana Carter-Cruz returns to the remote Greek island of Sakros, to claim the estate of her late grandmother, Sophia. A straightforward affair — go there, sell the house, get out — and start a new life with her daughter. What she didn’t factor into her plans was that stunning local taverna owner and harbor master Nikki Kefalas would still be living on the island.

Welcome to the Fiction on the Web audiobook series, featuring a collection of short stories with a different theme for each volume. Lovingly curated by the owner of Fiction On The Web, Charlie Fish. Come and share in the joy and power of short stories. The theme of this volume is Ironic Wish Fulfilment. What happens when your dreams actually do come true? Does eternal happiness await? Or will you be visited by nightmares?

Charles Boswell's short story "Monsters of Monarchy", Terror Tales, May 1940 features Roman emperor Caligula (12 BCE-24 CE), one of the most notorious Roman emperors. Known for his incestuous relationship with his sisters, and for his cruelty and madness, which culminated in Caligula naming his horse Roman consul and declaring himself a god. Caligula's brief reign and life turn into a complex and fascinating story of a boy-emperor thoroughly unprepared for the throne, who, in the early years of the Roman Empire, tried to make Rome an absolute monarchy but failed.

Playboy Wesley Harrison finds himself embroiled in a "Juke Joint" romance with Leona, the daughter of hillman Jubel Tandy, resulting in a very short-lived marriage. Leona is killed in a car wreck four weeks after their marriage. Leona's words, "Nothin's ever goin' to part us darlin' never. Your mine as long as we live an' after that we'll sleep together up there on the ridge." Comes back to haunt Harrison when Jubal advises him, "We mate only once here in the hills, Harrison! She is gone from you for little while, but you belong to her for all eternity and I will know if you fail her"

"Mistress of the Dark Pool" by Russell Gray is a captivating short story with elements of horror, sex, and suspense. First published in 1940 in the magazine Terror Tales. The story follows a young couple seeking solitude in the mountains, only to encounter a peculiar dog with human-like eyes. As the plot unfolds, they discover a local woman rumored to be a witch, and their encounter with her takes a dark turn.

Isaac Asimov wrote "The Magnificent Possession" early in his career. This is one of the few humorous stories that Asimov created.

The Rocket Man introduces us to an astronaut who spends his life traveling through space, leaving his family behind. Ray Bradbury's powerful storytelling shines through as he explores the complexities of familial relationships and the sacrifices that come with exploration and adventure. The way Bradbury weaves a tale of longing, loneliness, and human connection is both thought-provoking and deeply moving.

The story takes place on Mars, where a lone narrator lives in a well, waiting patiently for unsuspecting Earth explorers to arrive on Mars, only to fall victim to his terrifying presence. Ray Bradbury's masterful storytelling and vivid descriptions bring the eerie atmosphere of the Martian landscape to life. The story explores themes of isolation, loneliness, and the consequences of human curiosity. Bradbury's ability to create a sense of unease and apprehension keeps readers engaged from start to finish.

"The Thing Behind Hell's Door" is a science fiction short story written by renowned author Robert Silverberg. It was originally published in 1973 as part of the anthology "New Dimensions II." The story explores themes of exploration, otherworldly beings, and the unknown. Mike Vendetti's narration style proves to be an excellent choice for capturing the grim atmosphere and otherworldly ambiance that pervades the novel. His deep, resonant voice and skilled delivery brought the sinister tale to life.

Ojo and Unc Nunkie live in the land of Oz in Munchkin Country. Their neighbor, Dr. Pipt, has been devotedly working on the Powder of Life for many years. This magical powder will turn inanimate objects into living things. While demonstrating its power on a stuffed doll made of patchwork, Dr. Pipt accidentally turns his wife and Unc Nunkie to stone. It is up to Ojo to collect the necessary ingredients to destroy the spell and turn them back.

Though owned by the "meanest, dirtiest, and most shiftless family in Haddock Harbor, two young siblings "adopt" Daddles for two glorious summers. The intelligent, endearing hound dog wins the hearts of all as he joins in with capturing a thief, escaping a house fire, and dodging trouble at a local circus.

In the midst of the world, darkened with many sins and sorrows, in which the majority live, there abides another world, lighted up with shining virtues and unpolluted joy, in which the perfect ones live. This world can be found and entered, and the way to it is by self-control and moral excellence. It is the world of the perfect life, and it rightly belongs to man, who is not complete until crowned with perfection.

The Lone Wolf: A Melodrama, by Louis Joseph Vance, was first published in 1914 and was the first of what eventually became an 8-book series. The main character, Michael Lanyard, also known as The Lone Wolf, is a jewel thief who in later stories reforms and becomes a private detective. In this first book, we learn of his difficult past and his journey that led to this pre-war moment, when he gets entangled with both a Paris crime mob and a woman, confronts his present and future course, and then seeks ways to escape his life of crime.

First published in the Bulletin in the nineties, Paterson's verse has enjoyed enduring success throughout Australian literary history. Paterson had an intimate knowledge of life in the outback: he knew bushmen and he knew horses. His boundary riders and shearers, his buckjumpers and station hands, are real characters—the first realistic portraits of Australians in the bush at work and play to appear in verse. Many of the characters he created have so imprinted themselves on the public imagination that they have become part of Australian folklore.

This is Dickens’s third novel and was originally published as a serial from 1838 to 1839. It’s a wonderful example of Dickens’s ability to weave plots within plots and portray the most glorious characters. Both theatrical and prosaic, Dickens magnetically and majestically pulls the reader (or listener!) into his unique and inimitable world. The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby tells the story of a young man who must support his mother and sister after his father dies leaving the family impoverished.

Alice Morse Earle’s writings, beginning in 1890, focused on small sociological details rather than grand details, and thus are invaluable for modern social historians.

Emily Byrd Starr is destined to become a great writer. With high school behind her and her girlhood chums pursuing their ambitions far from home, Emily faces the future alone at dear old New Moon Farm, with only her maiden aunts and Uncle Jimmy as companions. But when a tragic accident threatens her life, she casts aside old dreams in favor of a new and surprising romance.