Book 7: "Pillars of Creation"

Tormented her entire life by inhuman voices, a young woman named Lauren seeks to end her intolerable agony. She at last discovers a way to silence the voices. For everyone else, the torment is about to begin.

With winter descending and the paralyzing dread of an army of annihilation occupying their homeland, Richard Rahl and his wife Kahlan must venture deep into a strange and desolate land. Their quest turns to terror when they find themselves the helpless prey of a tireless hunter.

Meanwhile, Lauren finds herself drawn into the center of a struggle for conquest and revenge. Worse yet, she finds her will seized by forces more abhorrent than anything she ever envisioned. Only then does she come to realize that the voices were real.

Staggered by loss and increasingly isolated, Richard and Kahlan must stop the relentless, unearthly threat that has come out of the darkest night of the human soul. To do so, Richard will be called upon to face the demons stalking among the Pillars of Creation.

Book 8: "Naked Empire"

Richard has been poisoned. Saving an empire from annihilation is the price of the antidote. With the shadow of death looming near, the empire crumbling before the invading hordes, and time running out, Richard is offered not only his own life but the salvation of a people, in exchange for delivering his wife, Kahlan, into bondage to the enemy.

Book 9: "Chainfire"

After being gravely injured in battle, Richard awakes to discover Kahlan missing. To his disbelief, no one remembers the woman he is frantically trying to find. Worse, no one believes that she really exists, or that he was ever married. Alone as never before, he must find the woman he loves more than life itself?if she is even still alive. If she was ever even real.

?How much of this blood is his Most of it, I?m afraid, ? a second woman said as they both rushed along beside him. As Richard fought to focus his mind on his need to remain conscious, the breathless voices sounded to him as if they were coming from some great dim distance. He wasn't sure who they were. He knew that he knew them, but right then it just didn't seem to matter. The crushing pain in the left side of his chest and his need for air had him at the ragged edge of panic. It was all he could do to try to pull each crucial breath. Even so, he had a bigger worry. Richard struggled to put voice to his burning concern, but he couldn't form the words, couldn't get out any more than a gasping moan. He clutched the arm of the woman beside him, desperate to get them to stop, to get them to listen. She misunderstood and instead urged the men carrying him to hurry, even though they already panted with the effort of bearing him over the rocky ground in the deep shade among the towering pines. They tried to be as gentle as possible, but they never dared to slow. Not far off, a rooster crowed in the still air, as if this were an ordinary morning like any other. Richard observed the storm of activity swirling around him with an odd sense of detachment. Only the pain seemed real. He remembered hearing it once said that when you died, no matter how many people were with you, you died alone. That's how he felt now - alone.

Gary Paulsen was one of the kids who slipped through the cracks, until art and dogs saved him. So are Jake, Jojo, and Jamie, all twelve-year-olds who, like Gary Paulsen, had to grow up too fast. You stop moving, you?re done.? ?Jake Dogs know how to love better than people.? ?Jojo I?m surprised my pencil can take my hand where my mind would never go.? ?Jamie Gary Paulsen's three poignant novellas add up to an unforgettable book. Praise for NOTES FROM THE DOG "Paulsen writes another touching story about human kindness and humanity.... This emotional coming-of-age journey about taking responsibility for one's own happiness and making personal connections will not disappoint." -Publishers Weekly "This candid and tender tale, told with Paulsen's] signature humor, is a salute to the bravest of the brave." -School Library Journal Praise for WOODS RUNNER "Paulsen's talent for scene-setting...is paired here with a vivid story of the American Revolution." -The New York Times Book Review *"A vivid and graphic tale of one boy caught up in a harsh war, a side of the American Revolution not often told." -Kirkus Reviews, Starred *"Illuminating and gripping." -Publishers Weekly, Starred

NAKED EMPIRE. It begins . . . "You knew they were there, didn't you?" Kahlan asked in a hushed tone as she leaned closer. Against the darkening sky, she could just make out the shapes of three black-tipped races taking to wing, beginning their nightly hunt. That was why he'd stopped. That was what he'd been watching as the rest of them waited in uneasy silence. "Yes," Richard said. He gestured over his shoulder without turning to look. "There are two more, back there." Kahlan briefly scanned the dark jumble of rock, but she didn't see any others. Lightly grasping the silver pommel with two fingers, Richard lifted his sword a few inches, checking that it was clear in its scabbard. A last fleeting glimmer of amber light played across his golden cape as he let the sword drop back, in place. In the gathering gloom of dusk, his familiar tall, powerful contour seemed as if it were no more than an apparition made of shadows. Just then, two more of the huge birds shot by right overhead. One, wings stretched wide, let out a piercing scream as it banked into a tight gliding turn, circling, once in assessment of the five people below before stroking its powerful wings to catch its departing comrades in their swift journey west. This night they would find ample food.

Tormented her entire life by inhuman voices, Jennsen seeks to end her intolerable agony. She at last discovers a way to silence the voices. For everyone else, the torment is about to begin. Richard Rahl and his wife, Kahlan, have been reunited after their long separation, but with winter descending and the paralyzing dread of an army of annihilation occupying their homeland, they must venture deep into a strange and desolate land. Their quest turns to terror when they find themselves the helpless prey of a tireless hunter. Exploited by those intent on domination, Jennsen finds herself drawn into the center of a violent struggle for conquest and revenge. Worse yet, she finds her will seized by dark forces more abhorrent than anything she ever envisioned. Only then does she come to realize that the voices were real. Staggered by loss and increasingly isolated, Richard and Kahlan desperately struggle to survive. But if they are to live, they must stop the relentless, unearthly threat that comes out of the darkest night of the human soul. To do so, Richard will be called upon to face the demons stalking among the Pillars of Creation.

In Wizard's First Rule, Richard Cypher's world was turned upside down. Once a simple woods guide, Richard was forced to become the Seeker of Truth, to save the world from the vile dominance of Darken Rahl, the most viciously savage and powerful wizard the world had ever seen. He was joined on this epic quest by his beloved Kahlan, the only survivor among the Confessors, who brought a powerful but benevolent justice to the land before Rahl's evil scourge. Aided by Zedd, the last of the wizards who opposed Rahl, they were able to cast him into the underworld, saving the world from the living hell of life under Rahl. But the veil to the underworld has been torn, and Rahl, from beyond the veil, begins to summon a sinister power more dreadful than any he has wielded before. Horrifying creatures escape through the torn veil, wreaking havoc on the unsuspecting world above. If Rahl isn't stopped, he will free the Keeper itself, an evil entity whose power is so vast and foul that once freed, it can never again be contained.

In Wizard's First Rule, Richard Cypher's world was turned upside down. Once a simple woods guide, Richard was forced to become the Seeker of Truth, to save the world from the vile dominance of Darken Rahl, the most viciously savage and powerful wizard the world had ever seen. He was joined on this epic quest by his beloved Kahlan, the only survivor among the Confessors, who brought a powerful but benevolent justice to the land before Rahl's evil scourge. Aided by Zedd, the last of the wizards who opposed Rahl, they were able to cast him into the underworld, saving the world from the living hell of life under Rahl. But the veil to the underworld has been torn, and Rahl, from beyond the veil, begins to summon a sinister power more dreadful than any he has wielded before. Horrifying creatures escape through the torn veil, wreaking havoc on the unsuspecting world above. If Rahl isn't stopped, he will free the Keeper itself, an evil entity whose power is so vast and foul that once freed, it can never again be contained.

At this very moment, you are surrounded by sound. Pause for a minute and try to listen to it all: the chatter of a passing conversation, the gentle whoosh of air vents, noise from a nearby street, someone turning the pages of a book, birds chirping in the trees. We rarely pay attention to everything we hear, but every noise in our environment has the ability to change our mood, decrease our productivity, even affect our health. While sound can heal, both emotionally and physically, it can also hurt us. In this engaging book, bestselling author and music expert Don Campbell (The Mozart Effect?) teams up with Alex Doman, a specialist in the practical application of sound, to show how we can use music and silence throughout our day to not only change how we feel but alter how we physically function. The authors delve into more than a decades? worth of research, from studies on aging to groundbreaking brain science, in order to illustrate how noise affects us for better and for worse. Walking readers through every aspect of their daily lives ? from the morning commute to getting a restful night's sleep ? Don and Alex provide practical advice and exercises so you can create perfect soundtracks for every task, combining music you already love with new favorites. In addition, the authors share nearly one hundred active links to music, video, and downloads in the book that help support their advice and show how others use the inspiring force of music to improve their lives. Combining the joy of music with the strength of science, Healing at the Speed of Sound? will set you on the path to a full, rich, and truly harmonious life.

Everyone makes resolutions - for New Year?s, for big birthdays, for new school years. In fact, most of us are so good at resolutions that we make the same ones year after year. This audiobook is an uplifting look at those resolutions. Why did we make them? How did they turn out? What did we learn? Stories talk about listeners who learned to be proud of who they are, what they achieved, and what they know they can achieve going forward. This collection of great true stories covers topics such as losing weight, getting organized, stopping bad habits, restoring relationships, dealing with substance abuse, and changing jobs.

Alex McKnight is in love. Even though he met Natalie Reynaud, an officer from the Ontario Provincial Police, under difficult circumstances, they share a common bond of solitude, as well as the same nightmare - they?re both cops who buried their partners. It's Alex's first real relationship in years, which in some ways is terrifying. But Natalie has her own fears to deal with - and her own secrets. They brave a violent snowstorm to spend the night together in a historic hotel in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. There, they meet a mysterious old man who seems to know a lot about Natalie - and about her family. But they won't be getting any answers from him - he?ll be found frozen to death in a snowbank the very next morning. From this single incident, an old blood feud will be reignited, one going back decades to an event buried in her family's past - an event that even now can still drive men to kill each other. As much as Natalie doesn't want Alex to become entangled in this web of lies and hatred, there's no way he can let her face this danger alone. This is a man who has gotten beaten up, shot at, and even dragged behind a snowmobile, all because he's a sucker for a friend in need. How much further will he go for love?

On a cold, miserable night in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, a night that wouldn't feel so unusual if it wasn't the Fourth of July, an antique wooden boat runs full-speed into a line of old railroad pilings in the shallow waters of Waishkey Bay. When Alex McKnight helps rescue the passengers, he finds three men. The driver is out cold, the other two are dazed but conscious. When they?re all finally back on dry land and sent away in an ambulance, Alex figures he?ll never see them again. He couldn't be more wrong. It's not enough that Natalie Reynaud, the woman who has become the center of his life, is five hundred miles away, working a dangerous undercover operation in Toronto. Now Alex has even more problems when the men from the boat get tangled up with his best friend, Vinnie. It's all Alex can do to keep Vinnie from killing them or being killed by them. With Vinnie in danger on one side of the border, and Natalie in just as much danger on the other, what comes next will be the absolute darkest hour of Alex's life, beyond anything he's ever faced before.

Jim Gore prospects the barren hills of the southwest, dreaming of striking it rich. He is a man as lonely and forgotten as the nearby ghost town itself, San Filipo. That is, until an earthquake uncovers the abandoned town's long-guarded secret - a treasure in silver! How much more is still hidden beneath the ruins?
Jim meets the mysterious Chris Estaban, a man with secrets of his own, who tells Jim that he is also known as "The Doctor" and "Colonel Dice." Jim knows his only chance to get the silver is to team up with this mysterious gunman and gambler. But what he doesn't know is that his easy-going life will end forever when greed, violence and betrayal take over.

Raw frontier action is epitomized in Lee Porfilo. With a penchant for settling his problems with his fists, Porfilo is always in trouble. And trouble comes to stay when he beats a rich man's son. Now he has an enemy for life. Framed for murder and sentenced to the penitentiary, he is saved by Tex Cummins' small steel saw and heads for the mountains.
As a mountain fugitive, he meets ravishing, red-haired Margaret O'Rourke, whom he renames Mike. She warns him that Cummins' contribution to his freedom wasn't all charity. And that prophesy comes true when Cummins shows him how to make money fast and easy. But there's good in Porfilo's soul and he'd rather go straight. Tired of running, he'd just as soon die facing his enemies head on than live life as an outlaw.

Max Brand is the name by which American author Frederick Faust is best known and loved. His fiction has been proclaimed vital reading for the development of the short story in American literature. Three of his stories appear together in audiobook form:
ALEC THE GREAT
Set in Alaska during the gold rush days of the 1890s, the background of the bitter enmity that destroyed the once great friendship between Hugh Massey and Arnie Calmot is explained. (The events preceding the clash of these two titans for possession of a most extraordinary and powerful dog are told by young Joe May in Sixteen in Nome.)
RIDING INTO PERIL
Kantwell Irving Dangerfield, commonly known as the Kid, is thrown in jail on a spurious charge. He makes good his escape and embarks on a life of dangerous adventure. He meets the enchanting Marianne Justis when he is hired to track down a mysterious renegade known as The Phantom. But even should he succeed in his battle with The Phantom, he will still be left outlawed, a wanted man.
OUTLAWS ALL
Listen to the enlightening story unfold of Bull Hunter, a gentle giant of a man who sees so deeply into the human soul, encountering and befriending a mighty wolf dog known as The Ghost.

"One way only - Death." This was the message that Walt Devon intercepted by chance in the gold-crazy town of West London. A murder was being arranged and Devon intended being around when the shooting started. What Devon didn't know was that he was to play the part of the corpse...
Max Brand at his best - pure Western adventure! One rancher defends his land against those who want it by any means possible.

In Googled, esteemed media writer and critic Ken Auletta uses the story of Googlea (TM)s rise to explore the inner workings of the company and the future of the media at large. Although Google has often been secretive, this book is based on the most extensive cooperation ever granted a journalist, including access to closed-door meetings and interviews with founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, CEO Eric Schmidt, and some 150 present and former employees.
Inside the Google campus, Auletta finds a culture driven by brilliant engineers in which even the most basic ways of doing things are questioned. His reporting shines light on how Google has been so hugely successfula "and why it could slip. On one hand, Auletta reveals how the company has innovated, from Gmail, Google Maps, and Google Earth to YouTube, search, and other seminal programs. On the other, he charts its conflicts: the tension between massive growth and its mandate of a oeDona (TM)t be evila; the limitations of a belief that mathematical algorithms always provide correct answers; and the collisions of Google engineers who want more data with citizens worried about privacy.
More than a comprehensive study of mediaa (TM)s most powerful digital company, Googled is also a lesson in new media truths. Pairing Aulettaa (TM)s unmatched analysis with vivid details and rich anecdotes, it shows how the Google wave grew, how it threatens to drown media institutions once considered impregnablea "and where it is now taking us all.

In todaya (TM)s hectic work environment, the chances are that you have way too much to do and too little time to get it done. No matter how accomplished and capable you are, achieving your goals can seem almost insurmountable. Why is it that some people consistently seem to get more done than others? The answer is that they know how to set specific, achievable goals for themselves . . . and then follow through on them. This revised and updated audio edition of Goal Setting offers listeners practical tools and powerful techniques on how to set a goal, make a plan, and achieve an objective. The audio book teaches you how to:
act upon your objectives in a precise, targeted way a [ recognize obstacles and overcome them a [ become more assertive a [ change counterproductive behavior a [ establish priorities a [ make the most of your time
Achieving goals takes hard work and discipline, but it can be done.

Expanding on the principles, insights and wisdom that made GETTING TO YES a worldwide bestseller, Roger Fisher and Scott Brown offer a straightforward approach to creating relationships that can deal with difficulties as they arise. GETTING TOGETHER takes you step-by-step through initiating, negotiating, and sustaining enduring relationships a " in business, in government, between friends and in the family.
The Steps:
Rationality a " Balance emotion with reason.
Understanding a " Learn how others see things.
Communication a " Always consult before decidinga ]and listen.
Reliability a " Be wholly trustworthy, but not wholly trusting.
Persuasion, not coercion a " Negotiate side by side.
Acceptance a " Deal seriously, with those with whom you differ.

At last, the rest of the story... Ten years and twelve million copies after the first printing of The Bridges of Madison County, Robert James Waller brings to a poignant conclusion his story of the love affair between a wandering photographer and the conventional wife of an Iowa farmer. In A Thousand Country Roads, Robert Kincaid initially finds himself with little but memories?memories of a lonely existence lived mostly on the road and memories of Francesca Johnson, the woman whose passion he stirred so briefly and with such power. Kincaid takes to the road again in what becomes a journey of discovery and surprise. With his dog Highway beside him, Kincaid begins a long winding run back to Roseman Bridge in Madison County, Iowa, returning to the place of his great love affair. Living her own solitary life, Francesca still visits Roseman Bridge and reflects on her days and nights with Robert Kincaid. Cherishing the memory of the strange wandering man who changed her world, she vows to search for him.

When a fire is done, what's left is only half-destroyed. It is charred and brittle. It is obscene. There is nothing so ugly in all the world as what a fire leaves behind, covered in ashes and smoke and a smell you?ll think about every day for the rest of your life. Reluctant investigator Alex McKnight finds himself drawn by friendship into a long drive north. The brother of Alex's longtime Ojibwa friend Vinnie LeBlanc works as a hunting guide, serving the rich clients from downstate. It seems that Vinnie's brother and his most recent group of hunters have vanished in northern Ontario, and Vinnie is scared enough to ask Alex to help him find them. Their arrival sets in motion a heart-pounding string of events that leaves Alex and his friend miles from civilization, stranded in the heart of the Canadian wilderness with no food, no weapons -and no way out. And there's someone out there who definitely does not want them to make it back alive. At once elegant and enormously suspenseful, Steve Hamilton's Blood Is the Sky heralds his arrival as one of the premier crime writers working today.