Total Audiobooks - page 65

“Papa explains the war like this: ‘When the elephants dance, the chickens must be careful.’ The great beasts, as they circle one another, shaking the trees and trumpeting loudly, are the Amerikanos and the Japanese as they fight. And our Philippine Islands? We are the small chickens.” Once in a great while comes a storyteller who can illuminate worlds large and small, magical and true to life. When the Elephants Dance introduces us to the incandescent voice of Tess Uriza Holthe, who sets her remarkable first novel in the waning days of World War II, as the Japanese and the Americans engage in a fierce battle for possession of the Philippine Islands. The Karangalan family and their neighbors huddle for survival in the cellar of a house a few miles from Manila. Outside the safety of their little refuge the war rages on—fiery bombs torch the beautiful Filipino countryside, Japanese soldiers round up and interrogate innocent people, and from the hills guerillas wage a desperate campaign against the enemy. Inside the cellar, these men, women, and children put their hopes and dreams on hold as they wait out the war, only emerging to look for food, water, and medicine. Through the eyes of three narrators, thirteen-year-old Alejandro Karangalan, his spirited older sister Isabelle, and Domingo, a passionate guerilla commander, we see how ordinary people must learn to live in the midst of extraordinary uncertainty, how they must find hope for survival where none seems to exist. They find this hope in the dramatic history of the Philippine Islands and the passion and bravery of its people. Crowded together in the cellar, the Karangalans and their friends and neighbors tell magical stories to one another based on Filipino myth and legend to fuel their courage, pass the time, and teach important lessons.

“ Know this. You have to do what I ask of you. And don’t ask any questions. ” His voice drops a few octaves.Instinctively, I place my hands over his chest, feeling his beating heart under my palm.“ Just do as I say and everything will be fine. ” His eyes lower to my lips. “ Or else…” The lingering threat triggers the rebel side of mine. “ Or else? ”“ Or else…” He lifts his gaze to my eyes and shoots me a very promising smirk. “ I will make you. "****************A wild night out with her two best friends, away from her controlling boyfriend was all Natalie Whitman planned on the ocassion of her 20th birthday, but it didn't turn out quite right. Because now, she was marked and claimed by a man she doesn't even know and her boyfriend of two years is pounding the door. Hide the truth or pretend to be not marked—That's her only choice but it doesn't prove out to be easy when the Alpha who marked her comes barging in her life and it becomes impossible for her to ignore him.

Laura Thompson watched her marriage crumble when her husband abruptly asked for a divorce. She had always suspected that he never truly loved her, but she had decided to win him over gradually. However, everything fell apart when her husband's ex girlfriend reentered his life and persuaded him to leave Laura. Completely disheartened after putting so much effort into a marriage that ended in failure, Laura decided to agree to the divorce and start her life anew in an uncertain place. However, Jason Davies realizes that he made a mistake by separating from Laura due to his ex girlfriend's influence. He now recognizes that he loves Laura, even though he didn't realize it before. Jason intends to reunite with Laura and win her back. The lingering question is whether Laura will forgive Jason and return to him after being hurt so deeply by him.

Ayahuasca is a powerful tool for transformation, that more and more Westerners are flocking to drink in a quest for greater self-knowledge, healing and reconnection with the natural world. This formerly esoteric, little-known brew is now a growth industry. But why? Ayahuasca is a psychoactive tea that has a long history of ritual use among indigenous groups of the Upper Amazon. Made from the ayahuasca vine and the leaves of a shrub, ayahuasca is associated with healing in collective ceremonies and in more intimate contexts, generally under the direction of specialist – an ayahuasquero . These are experienced practitioners who guide the ceremony and the ‘drinkers’ experience. Ayahuasca has gained significant popularity these days in cities around the world. Ceremonies happen nightly and Hollywood stars, Wall Street players and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs now drink the brew. Why? What effect might ayahuasca be having on our culture? Could it be the LSD of our time? Does the brew, which seems to inspire environmental action, simplified lifestyles and more communitarian behaviour, act as an antidote to frenzied consumerist culture? In When Plants Dream , Pinchbeck and Rokhlin explore the economic, social, political, cultural and environmental impact that ayahuasca is having on society. Part 1 covers the background; what ayahuasca is, where it is found, and its cultural origins. Part 2 explores the role and practices of the ayahuasquero in both Amazonian and Western cultures. Part 3 examines the medicinal plants of the Amazon, looking particularly at the ingredients in ayahuasca and their therapeutic qualities, covering the most up-to-date biomedical research, psychedelic science and psychopharmacology. Part 4 looks more closely at how ayahuasca is perceived and used today, covering law, the drug wars, media and money. Lastly in Part 5 Pinchbeck and Rokhlin question the future of ayahuasca. When Plants Dream is the first book of its kind to look at the science and expanding culture of ayahuasca, from its historical use to its appropriation by the West and the impact it is having on cultures beyond the Amazon.

Don’t let your inner critic get in the way of being confident! How to Like Yourselfoffers a quirky, inspiring, and practical guide to help you overcome feelings of self-criticism, improve self-esteem, and be the true star in your life. With all the pressures of school, friends, and dating, you’re especially vulnerable to low self-esteem in your teen years. But often, the biggest threat to your confidence is your own inner critic—whose unrelenting negativity can result in feelings of inadequacy, depression, and anxiety. This must-have guide offers real ways to help you fight back, be kind to yourself, and move forward with confidence. Inside, you’ll learn the importance of self-forgiveness, accepting your faults, and how to focus on the things that make you awesome! You’ll also learn strategies for defeating the dreaded ICK—the inner critic know-it-all who keeps knocking you down—and how to escape the common thought traps that hold you back from feeling good about yourself. This book unlocks the mystery of the most important relationship you will ever have—the one with yourself! So, get ready to find your true inner voice. A kinder, gentler one that will support you as you reach for your goals and create the fabulous life you were meant to live!

Abigail Renee had entered into a quick, arranged marriage with an ordinary man, but soon after their marriage registration, they ended up leading separate lives.After one year, they unexpectedly ran into each other at work. Although Abigail couldn't quite remember where she knew the CEO of Zane Corporation from, she felt like she had seen him before.It was rumored that Zane Corporation's CEO, who was known for being uninterested in women, had recently gotten married and was now absolutely smitten with his wife. Unbeknownst to Abigail, she was the envied wife of the CEO that everyone was talking about.One night, after a company party, the slightly intoxicated CEO got a little too close to Abigail and murmured into her ear, "Hey, wifey..."

Can a marriage of convenience heal a wounded hero and a beautiful soul with scars of her own? Confirmed bachelor Cameron McKay has found his purpose in Wyoming. His deputy sheriff job—and the injury that ended his military career—keep him right where he wants to be: off the McKay ranch and away from his meddling family. He holds his emotions on lockdown, along with his darkest memories of the war that left him feeling less than whole. Until he meets her. Orphaned at a young age, Domini Katzinski has been fending for herself since immigrating to the U.S. So when it comes to intimate relationships, she prefers a take-charge man to whom she can relinquish total control. Brooding Cam fits the bill: powerful, dominant, and beautifully scarred, with a gentle side he hides from everyone but her. Once Cam gets over his shock that the sweet and shy Domini wants to surrender to his every fantasy, he lets go of his shame and inhibitions. Their passion burns as hot as a rocket-propelled grenade, and soon Cam wants more than a fun, no-strings attached fling. So when tragedy strikes, leaving Domini responsible for the care of a young boy she desperately wants to adopt, Cam seizes a chance at forever by proposing a marriage of convenience. Will sharing their traumas and secrets bring them together? Or are their damages too deep for even love to heal?

When desire rises, angels will fall. Over the past century, Belphagor has made a name for himself in Heaven’s Demon District as a card sharp, thief, and charming rogue. Though he’s content with his own company, he enjoys applying the sweet sting of discipline to a willing backside—angel, demon, and even the occasional human. He’s not particular. But when a hotheaded young firespirit steals his purse—and his heart—all bets are off. Vasily, a former rentboy and cutpurse from the streets of Raqia, has never felt safer than in the arms—and at the feet—of the Prince of Tricks. He’s just not sure if Belphagor returns his feelings. The attentions of a rich, angelic duke provide the perfect opportunity to find out whether Belphagor is willing to fight for him, but the foolish game backfires—spectacularly. When the duke frames Vasily in an assassination plot, Belphagor will do whatever it takes to clear his lover’s name and expose the real traitor. Because for the first time in his life, the Prince of Tricks has something to lose.

Born in the flames of Heaven’s wrath, he’s all things sinful and too dangerous to love. An immortal Guardian, Aethan has walked alone for millennia, trapped in a hell of his own. Until a feisty mortal crosses his path. A female he shouldn’t even look at, one who shakes the precarious foundations of all that he is, and one who’s determined to walk the edge of danger. All her life, Echo Carter wanted “normal”, an impossible feat given that she can see demons. Drawn back to the alleys of New York, she’s determined to hunt down the one responsible for the death of her friend. And no man, no matter how sexy, will stop her. Until she discovers a horrifying truth about herself, forcing her to turn to the one man she should avoid. Aethan. But when two stubborn wills collide, a dangerous passion ignites… As evil closes in, Aethan has to overcome his darkest fears and claim Echo as his. If he doesn't, he just could lose her to a far more sinister fate… *This is a re-edited version with an added epilogue.

Fiercely protective of her heart, India Burke let down her defenses when Cris Ardmore went from another notch on her D/s playdate belt to everything she could never admit she wanted. But being disowned by your family and betrayed by your lover aren’t easy to get over, and India’s old fears of intimacy creep in against a backdrop of professional drama that forces her return to a place that never really felt like home. Though she proved her loyalty when it mattered most, love is about more than grand gestures and Cris wants all of her—which may be more than India is able to give. Can Cris and India navigate to a shared future or will they forever be off course? ** Please Note: Bound in the Streets is Book 2 of the After Hours Series and CANNOT be read as a stand-alone. Bound in the Streets, the beginning of Cris and India’s story, was previously published as Intimate Geography.