Showing results by narrator "Hollis McCarthy" in All Categories

With summer on the way, Rory is looking forward to relaxing at the beach between her latest set of magical exams. A mysterious beast appearing from the sea and terrifying everyone was not part of her plan. Rory's cousin Cass, who responds to anything involving magical beasts by instantly making friends with it, is the first to take an interest. But this beastie seems to have no intention of playing nice, and between her cousin's antics and Aunt Candace's unending hunt for a good story, Rory has her hands full trying to stop her relatives from running headlong into danger.

My name is Nadia, and I'm a shadow agent of the High Queen of the Elves. That means I use magic to steal things for her. Now she wants me to steal a treasure from an Elven lord without him even realizing that it's missing. To pull it off, I'll need a crew.

When bakery owner Lexy Baker and her posse of iPad-toting grandmas find a dead body under Ruth’s late model Oldsmobile, it opens an investigation into a decades-old crime. It seems Ruth’s reformed crime-boss boyfriend stashed something of immense value away before he died. Too bad word is out in the criminal underworld, and a dangerous killer has come to town to find it.

Things are changing for Jane Miller. Just as her friend Claire gets on her feet again from a near-catastrophe with her bakery, Jane faces challenges with the beachfront bed-and-breakfast her family has owned for generations. Her mother is no longer able to run things and Jane finds herself in charge.

Life for Pepper Dunn is just beginning to slow down in the magical town of Magnolia Cove, Alabama, when her Uncle Donovan, who is supposed to be deceased, appears on her doorstep very much alive. Turns out Uncle Donovan faked his death to avoid the werewolf mafia, a dangerous group who will stop at nothing to get their hands on him.

My name is Nadia, and I’m a shadow agent of the High Queen of the Elves. I don’t have many friends, but I look after the ones I do have...and I pay my debts. So when Hakon Valborg’s teenaged granddaughter Lydia is arrested for the murder of her computer science teacher, I agree to help. But there’s more going on here than just murder.

Claire Turner finally has everything she wants. A successful business, a small bungalow near the beach, and the camaraderie of her two best friends. She's successful and independent - something she would have never thought possible before her husband's mid-life crisis and their subsequent divorce. When a rival business opens across the street, Claire worries that she could lose everything she's worked for.

Life is good for Rory Hawthorn. She's progressing well in her magical lessons, and is also finally unearthing her father's long-kept secrets. If not for the Grim Reaper trying to interfere in her love life, things would be perfect. Until the Grim Reaper goes missing, at the same time as a lethal curse is set loose in Ivory Beach, which leaves even Rory's family stumped.

Jules Whittier is starting to regret the promise she made to her grandmother on her deathbed. The motel is even more dilapidated than it looked like in the pictures, and it turns out that renovating it includes working with her estranged cousins Maddie and Gina - the same cousins who caused her to fail at running the last motel. But there’s no getting around the stipulations in Gram’s will, and Jules needs to make a success of the Beachcomber, not only because of the promise she made, but also to prove to herself that she’s not a failure.

Ever-turbulent humanity has reached out to the stars and found itself challenged by several “exosapient” species whose motivations are as unusual as their physical forms. But no world is defined just by the characters who occupy center stage. Lost Signals digs deep into the lives - and struggles - of those beyond the spotlight by bringing together 20 new voices and new stories.

Caina is the ghost circlemaster of Istarinmul, leader of the emperor's spies in the city. She has hindered the malevolent plans of the sinister Grandmaster Callatas, but has been unable to defeat him. Callatas has slaughtered every foe who ever challenged him, and Caina may be next. Cassander Nilas is a ruthless magus of the brutal Umbarian Order, and seeks to destroy the emperor. At last he has found the key to the downfall of the empire. All he needs to do is kill Caina Amalas, and the empire will burn.

He’s heralded around the world as a romantic icon. The last thing he needs is to fall in love. King Eduardo diTalora is riding a popularity high, thanks to his political acumen, his charitable endeavors, and above all, the storybook romance he had with his late wife, Queen Aletta. He plans to use that goodwill in the best way possible, to push long-term projects that will benefit his country. When Claire Peyton, the new American ambassador, pitches a project of her own, Eduardo wonders if it’s possible to find love a second time.

Caina Amalas is the Ghost circlemaster of Istarinmul, the leader of the Emperor's spies in the city. With the aid of mysterious allies, she fights to stop the sinister plans of the ruthless Grand Master Callatas. But Callatas has spent two centuries preparing to remake humanity, and he will exterminate any who dare to oppose him. Kalgri is the Red Huntress, the centuries-old assassin of legend. She has killed kings and princes, sorcerers, and alchemists, young and old, and rich and poor, and laughed at their screams. And her next target is Caina Amalas.

The world knows him as Prince Perfect. She’s about to discover the truth. Prince Federico diTalora is all too aware of his dreaded nickname: Prince Perfect. He’s spent his life guarding his reputation, cognizant of the duty he owes his country and its citizens. But as a widower with two rambunctious boys, the strain of being an ideal son, father, and prince has pushed him to the breaking point.

A male - and royal - Eliza Doolittle meets a female Professor Higgins. Having completed his military service, Prince Marco diTalora of San Rimini wants only one thing on his return home: His freedom. He has good reason for avoiding the public eye, and little interest in his father’s plans to immerse him in royal life. In the hours before his brother’s high-profile wedding, he dodges the media hordes for a few hours of respite.

When Princess Isabella diTalora needs an expert to study the ancient artifacts hidden beneath the royal palace, she’s determined to hire the best: Nick Black, a mysterious collector who knows San Rimini’s medieval era better than anyone. Nick Black knows San Rimini’s history for good reason. He lived it. In fact, he was once known as Domenico of Bollazio, a powerful knight pledged to San Rimini’s king. But he was cursed for his ambition and will never know peace - or mortality - until he can solve the riddle of his enchantment.

Sixteen years old, Caina is a student of the Ghosts, the spies and agents of the Emperor of Nighmar, and from them she learns the arts of stealth and infiltration, of disguise and intrigue. But when a man dies of a mysterious poison, Caina faces a deadly test. Because if she doesn't solve the murder, she might die next....

Caina Amalas is a Ghost circlemaster, leader of the Emperor's spies in Istarinmul. Yet the people of Istarinmul know her as the Balarigar, the daring master thief who challenged the corrupt lords and cruel princes of the city. And now Grand Master Callatas, the most powerful sorcerer of Istarinmul, wants her dead, and without allies Caina will not survive. So when a legendary thief offers Caina a chance to rob Callatas himself, she has no choice but to join the venture. But no one has ever escaped the dark perils of Callatas' Maze...

Jennifer Allen is on a mission to assist refugees, not to be swept away by a fairy tale prince. Even if the prince in question is a drop-dead sexy billionaire. When Prince Antony diTalora visits her camp, she’s certain it’s a publicity stunt and keeps him at arm’s length. But when he invites her to the palace to speak about her work, it brings her beliefs into question and has her looking at Prince Charming in a whole new light.

Daniela D’Ambrosio is the most trusted employee of Sarcaccia’s Queen Fabrizia, managing the queen’s schedule and ensuring she never makes a misstep in public. But when Fabrizia sends Daniela to organize the belongings of San Rimini’s late queen for a charity auction, Daniela finds a locked closet full of treasure, a suspicious king, and an attractive handyman who seems strangely familiar.