Showing results by narrator "Dave Cruse" in All Categories

Opportunities there are few and far between...that is, unless you're willing to put on a uniform. For ace-pilot Deborah Allen Riker (aka “Admiral Dare”), life had never been easy. She's defended Earth against countless enemies, both alien and human alike. Now she's retired. Committed to a life of solitude and studying the aliens she spent a lifetime fighting...until she finds herself dragged into a new conflict. A conflict she never saw coming.

When Kase and Brell agree to track down a thief they didn't expect it to lead them into the middle of a war. What was supposed to be a quick visit to the Teck world quickly spins out of control when a crime lord blackmails Brell and Kase into hunting down the unfortunate thief who stole his valuable shipment. Crossing paths with old friends and older enemies, they follow a string of clues deep into the wastelands and a mysterious graveyard of ancient machines.

I watched as the alien weapon’s neutronium hull fractured and then exploded. The antimatter-driven explosion engulfed the remaining three ships. Even neutronium is not impervious to antimatter. In one final act of love, my wife had saved us. A piece of my heart died that day in the Paradise system. In a way, the wound never healed. I learned to live with it. I raised our son as best I could. I carried out the mission. But I missed the woman who represented everything good in my life.

Although Miss Bessie Myers is a figment of my imagination, she is every bit real in the sense that we all have a Miss Bessie in our lives. Miss Bessie is everyone’s crazy aunt, spooky neighbor, beloved grandmother, and dearest friend. She can be brutally honest, painfully funny, sweet as honey and prickly as a pear. She is both the preacher’s staunchest supporter and sharpest critic. Of all the words used to describe this godly saint, there is one which stands out above them all...unpredictable.

Rick Tagler barely escaped Timbervale alive. Now, burdened with grief and haunted by unfinished business, he and his unlikely party—Gail the Fae, Squatch the Bigfoot Outcast, and the formidable Grand Elf—clash over their next steps. But Torwall offers no time for hesitation. With its Gatekeeper’s power peaking during the deadly Hallowtide Festival, Rick’s survival hinges on mastering his evolving magic. Each level gained is a race against time—and against a rising tide of Infernal treachery.

Braidyn is consumed by restlessness except when he’s with his dragon. Together the two can do anything. When a dragon egg is stolen, he vows to find the thief at any cost. Sarai longs for acceptance in a male dominated society. Freedom is more likely if she leaves home. But her encounter with Braidyn leaves her unsettled and more alone than before. She fears the consequences if he ever discovers her secret.

An imperfect hero for an imperfect time. For generations, Riker men have been the best of the best. For the Battleborn that comes with a cost. I spit out the blood in my mouth. I had to give the other guy credit. That was a fine right hook. Every bit as good as my mom used to give me. Of course, the best right hooks were the ones I landed on the other guy rather than the ones the other guy landed on me. My dear departed mother had always taught me it was better to give than receive.

Fateh’s world was changed forever when the Shadows invaded. What makes it worse? The betrayal by people he once thought of as friends and the loss of his mother. Who is truly to blame? Tabor was there before the Shadows and when every tragedy happened.

When James Kreider receives the devastating news his life is shortened from cancer, he is immediately filled with shock and disbelief. At 60 years, Jim is too young to die and believes he has a whole life ahead of him. When the reality of his impending demise sinks in, Jim methodically prepares for his final days, including trying to heal old wounds. With a dash of life's regrets and unfinished business, Jim's hours are spent pondering the legacy he will leave for his friends and children.

Suddenly on the far side of the Milky Way, Admiral Deborah Allen Riker and her crew find themselves neck-deep in trouble...again! It turns out the galaxy is a very dangerous place. Threats come in all shapes and sizes. For Admiral Dare, peace and protecting the innocent is the price of being human. It is a precious commodity that must be paid for with the blood and tears of those willing and able to fight for it.

This morning was no different than any number of other mornings, except for one small detail, I had no idea where I was. In fact, there were a lot of little things I didn't know: Who was I? Why was I here? How come I was so hungry? And what the hell was that smell?

The north was decimated by war centuries ago and nature never recovered. Rumors and whispers now spread of the return of the darkness that once plagued the lands. Prince Gilford remains as the only surviving heir of a dying kingdom but he must remain vigilant as he knows there is more to fear than simply the darkness.

Through cursed battlefields and crumbling ruins, relics of sorcery and lost machines resurface, each with the power to destroy kingdoms. Across the centuries, an ageless dark sorcerer has been weaving rituals of death and control that now threaten to consume both sides of the Rift. To stop him, Kase Hamerson must outwit rival guilds, risk tombs guarded by lethal curses, and battle demons born of another world. Every discovery draws him deeper into a mystery that harbors a terrible secret. Every victory comes with a cost.

The final prophesy for the Commander says that he must face a trail to stand before the oncoming darkness. Neither Roy nor Katreena knew what that would be, just that it would one day happen. It would be the moment that would change everything, for it is the last of the prophet Queen’s predictions.

Daniel Peterson's life was all planned out. His upcoming marriage would guarantee him the lifetime corner office in her father's firm, complete with the highest social standing, country club memberships...even golf lessons. But then the phone rang. It seems the father he never knew has passed away, leaving him a tidy inheritance. To claim it, Dan is tasked with scattering his father's ashes, but under the most bizarre conditions and circumstances he could possibly imagine.

Newly reinstated Captain Deborah Allen Riker (a.k.a. Admiral Dare) has been called many things over the years. Risk-averse is not one of them. When she and her badly crippled starship found themselves lost in the middle of an ocean of uncharted stars, with the fate of the galaxy on the line, facing enemies from the past, present, and future.... She did what any Riker would do....She attacked.

Avington, Bryngate, Teris Falls, village after village felt the stilling touch of the iceman. Sanctuaries left in ashes, entire populations of First One followers left silent and cold, Alastair led a secret cadre of Wolfguard assassins on a historic murderous rampage. How then could the bloodthirsty, remorseless persecutor of the faithful...become their greatest champion? What happened in Salkyrie Vale in the midst of the screams and flames? How did the decades long feud between Alastair and Cythraul begin? Listen to Coldhollow, a Myridian Constellation origin story to find out.

Fleeing the kingdom he once ruled, Lochlan Stormgarden leads the survivors of the Bloody Red Night across Myriad on a desperate quest for safety. With tyrannical High King Morlan's legions and the lethal bone ministers constantly dogging his steps, Lochlan discovers that the only refuge might be a legendary contagion-cursed fortress deep in the heart of the Gorrack nation.

Abbagael Coldhollow’s desperate journey forces her to cross the shrouded borders of the Witchlands. There, the question that has haunted her soul will be answered once and for all. Returning from the Forsaken Continent, Telwyn finds Myriad in bloody chaos. What can one man do against the tide of tragedy and war? A dark excursion to find the Mirrors of Manticore may hold the answer.

Trapped in a boring life, Carryl longs for something different. With the death of a dragon rider, she realizes her dream of becoming a rider herself. But first she must save the despondent dragon’s life. Ruskya has settled into his new role as a dragon rider. A sinister rider has attacked the colony. The fate of all that Ruskya holds dear lies in his hands. Ruskya and Carryl step into leadership roles to defend the colony and their village. Now they battle dragons and their own insecurities. They’ll need the courage of a dragon to defeat their enemies or die trying.