Showing results by narrator "Natalie Duke" in All Categories

Pie isn’t just a dessert, it’s a way of life. Pies, fillings, jams, jellies, honey, they’re all a part of my award-winning business, Firefly Kitchen. After being left behind, by everyone, I was determined to make it all on my own, and I have. I love what I do, I love what I’ve created, and I love who I’ve become. Yes, it’s small, but it’s mine, and nothing or no one can stop me now. Not even Bryan Brennen. He may have returned, but it won’t be long before he leaves. And regardless of how you slice it, some things can’t be forgotten, no matter how sweet the taste.

June Tucker doesn’t understand people. Numbers, data, and statistics? Those make sense. People? Not so much. In a town of Friday night fighters and moonshine-swilling line dancers, she’s the odd duck. And that suits her just fine. But her sister and friends are pairing off, and the change is unsettling. George “GT” Thompson was at the top of his game — one of the best receivers in football. But a career-ending injury sidelined him for good. Now he’s hoping to find relief in the healing waters of this tiny West Virginia town.

One thousand years after a cataclysmic event leaves humanity on the brink of extinction, the descendants of the chosen survivors take refuge in 13 contingency shelters buried deep underground, at the bottom of the ocean, and in the far reaches of outer space. In the underwater 13th Continuum, 16-year-old Myra Jackson has heard rumors and whisperings all her life of a magical place called The Surface” where people could breathe fresh air, feel the warmth of something called sunlight on their skin, and see things known as stars and trees and mountains.

The mighty chicken Thundercluck is in trouble. He and Brunhilde have run a-fowl of the gods of Asgard, and the best friends must fly the coop. But when a seasoned foe serves up more danger, it’s out of the frying pan and into the fire for these plucky heroes. Can their friendship handle the heat...or will they both be cooked? 

An evil chef faces off against the god Thor, and a hen's egg is caught in the crossfire. It hatches into a powerful chick called Thundercluck, beloved by the gods but a target for evildoers everywhere. When the Under-Cook threatens to make everyone into rotisserie, there's only one chicken who can scramble his scheme.

Before senior year, I was forced to move away, leaving behind the only man I have ever loved. He promised he'd love me forever. He vowed nothing would tear us apart. He swore he'd wait for me, but Jack lied. Six years later, when our paths cross again, his broad shoulders, rock-hard chest, and rippling muscles almost make me forget his betrayal. His rugged voice, tempting lips, and sinful smile make it harder for me to deny the feelings I still have for him. He wants to make me his again, but our past may be too much for us to overcome.

As a teenager, Samantha Carlton used a career in modeling to break free from her painful childhood - walking away from her reckless twin sister, an alcoholic mother, and the boy she loved. Yet she never outran the guilt of abandoning her family. When the past shows up on her doorstep in the form of her late sister's daughter, Sam opens her home and her heart to the girl she never knew existed. But it's not so easy to face the man she left behind...

I love food. I love everything about it. My dream has always been to land a job with the Food Network channel, and I’ve spent years as a food critic, blogger, and chef, tasting my way across the South to develop recipes that are a twist on the classics and uniquely my own. When a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity comes calling, I’m shocked to discover I’ve been paired with him, the worst blind date ever - bless his heart, and I’m determined not to let anyone get in my way. 

I believe in living my best life, and if surviving cancer taught me anything, it’s exactly that. I wake every day in the most beautiful city in the South, I’m a chef at my own restaurant, and everything is just the way I want it: easy, calm, and in perfect harmony - that is, until my best friend shows up with his wounded heart, smoldering gaze, and adorable dimples. Now, things are changing - we are changing - but with the promises I’ve made to myself, I don’t want them to.  

Ever wonder what kind of impression you’re making? Good modern manners can help you make a splash, elevate your self-esteem, enhance your personal brand, and lead to what we’re all looking for - greater success in every part of our lives. Nita Patel’s debut book, Boss Vibes is authority, class, and edge all in one unique package. Her witty, fresh voice and clever, take-no-prisoners observations make it fun to stop and think about how we’re really coming across to the world and where we want to go in our careers and personal lives. 

Luna dreamed of life outside her village but never imagined how different it would be out there. Facing intrigue and danger, she must navigate her way through a world she does not understand in order to save those she loves.

In only a few weeks, Luna's life has changed more than she ever imagined it could. But she's about to learn that the transition has only started to affect her life...and world.

Gannon King is great with his hands and - if you believe what you read on Twitter - he's "sex in a toolbelt." The reality TV star learned his lesson about falling for pretty packages the hard, painful, humiliating way and he's not making that mistake again. Sure, "Legs" is gorgeous as hell and smart-mouthed - two of his favorite qualities in a woman. But she's an icy network kiss-ass. At least, that's what he thinks until he catches her being human. Field producer Paige St. James has zero time for temperamental stars, especially Gannon who does his best to get under her skin.

All those years of adolescent fantasies and this was how Bowie Bodine first touched my boobs. And he apologized. Real life was stupid and unfair. Small town deputy Cassidy Tucker’s dating life is a train wreck on repeat. All she ever wanted was a solid partner. A man to share pajamas with. Cassidy’s officially giving up on love and adopting cats. Good thing the cold case disappearance of Callie Kendall is heating up to keep her distracted. Except the investigation is testing her friendship with all the Bodines - Bowie in particular.

On Compromise is an argument against contemporary liberal society’s tendency to view compromise as an unalloyed good - politically, ethically, and artistically. In a series of clear, convincing essays, Rachel Greenwald Smith discusses the dangers of thinking about compromise as an end, rather than as a means. 

I'm one scrappy wizard. As someone with barely a flicker of magic, I've spent my life being mocked and surviving fights with bullies. But when my parents die in an accident, and I find myself responsible for our whole wizard house and family, I know my usual tactics aren't going to cut it. The situation veers from bad to catastrophic when my backstabbing cousin stages a coup and takes my family hostage. I barely manage to flee, but the only supernatural willing to help me is Killian Drake - the most feared vampire in the region.

Greta Russakoff loves her tight-knit family and tiny Maine hometown, but they can't seem to understand what it's like to be a lesbian living in such a small world. When an act of familial meddling goes way too far, she realizes just how desperately she needs space to figure out who she is. Truman Belvedere's heart is crushed when he learns that his boyfriend has a secret life, including a husband and daughter. Reeling, all he wants is a place to lick his wounds far far away from Louisiana. 

Eve is a survivor. Kidnapped and genetically enhanced, she wakes in an alley with the ability to level up. As a Player, her life now belongs to the Game. Deadly Trials offer fantastic and powerful prizes, but as she fights against both alien monsters and other Players, Eve knows she would do anything to escape the Game. She may have to risk more than just her life to gain the power to control her own destiny...

Growing up in the city of Stillwater, Oklahoma, thirteen-year-old Liberty Justice has learned how to cook, clean, and care for her heroin-addict mother. But at school, Liberty struggles to fit in, and a fight with her rival gets her suspended. Frustrated, she turns to writing poetry—her only escape. When a drug dealer shows up at their house with wild accusations, a fight breaks out, and the dealer ends up dead. To save her mother from arrest, Liberty flees the scene with her mom in tow.

Model turned disgraced reality TV starlet, Leah Mae Larkin, crash lands in her hometown of Bootleg Springs to lay low while a scandal threatens her career. She can’t shake the feeling that her agent - and supposed fiancé - manipulated her into the role of made-for-TV homewrecker. Connecting with her roots is just what she needs, and Bootleg Springs is home to her father, moonshine, and her childhood best friend, Jameson Bodine.