novels with strong female leads Audiobooks

“A fast-paced adventure combined with an engrossing mystery, all set in a unique and original fantasy world. I can't wait to find out what happens next!” ―Martha Wells, Hugo-award winning author In this sequel to For the Killing of Kings , Howard Andrew Jones returns to the Nine Realms of the Dendressi in Upon the Flight of the Queen to continue this imaginative and fun epic fantasy trilogy. While the savage Naor clans ready to march on the heart of the Five Realms, Rylin Corimel infiltrates the highest of the enemy ranks to learn their secrets and free hundreds of doomed prisoners. His ailing mentor Varama leads the Altenerai corps in a series of strikes to cripple the Naor. Kyrkenall, Elenai, and the kobalin Ortok ride for the storm-wracked shifting lands to rekindle the alliance with the winged lizards known as ko’aye, the only possible counter to the terrible Naor dragons. Meanwhile, the queen is delving further and deeper into the magic of the mysterious hearthstones, in a frantic attempt to save the realms that just might doom them all. Praised for his ability to write modern epic fantasy that engrosses and entertains, Howard Andrews Jones delivers a sequel that expands the amazing world, relationships, and adventure that he introduced in the first book of this series.

A love match hotter than the Fourth of July… Wild West Boys, Book 2 Construction worker Willow Gregory entered the annual Miss Firecracker beauty contest on a dare and shocked everyone by winning. After a year of tiara-wearing good behavior, she’s ready to cut loose—but waking up naked in a sexy stranger’s bed with no memory of the havoc she wreaked the night before wasn’t part of the plan. Bartender Blake West thinks he could possibly be the only man alive who could say no to a drunken, horny, beauty queen—a sexpot who ends up trashing his buddy’s bar during a fight. Despite how hot she fires his blood, he demands she work off the damages in the bar…or face jail time. Working in close quarters is an explosive combination they can’t resist. But their agreement for a no-heartstrings-attached affair hits a snag when they realize the spark between them might be strong enough to burn for a lifetime…

On Friday night in the clay fields of Bethel Creek, seventeen-year-old Daniel Reyes is found brutally attacked and left for dead. On Saturday morning, Cora Maxwell finds her teenage son’s clothes covered in blood.A small town torn apart by a horrific hate crime. An investigative reporter hell bent on finding the truth. A mother’s worst nightmare.What really happened to the Reyes boy?In the heart-stopping and timely suspense novel, Secrets Mothers Keep, widow and mother Cora Maxwell faces the hardest decision of her life. In a world where there are few second chances, do you grant one to your child? And if so… what is the cost?

"A book to rival TWILIGHT and VAMPIRE DIARIES, and one that will have you wanting to keep reading until the very last page! If you are into adventure, love and vampires this book is the one for you!" --Vampirebooksite.com (regarding Turned) OBSESSED is Book #12—and the final book—of the bestselling series THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS, which begins with TURNED (Book #1). In OBSESSED, 16 year old Scarlet Paine races to save her true love, Sage, before he is killed at the hand of the Immortalists. Alienated from her friends and family—and with only one night left before Sage is wiped out—Scarlet is forced to choose whether to sacrifice it all for him. Caitlin and Caleb race desperately to save their daughter, still determined to find a way to cure Scarlet and to end vampirism for all time. Their quest leads them to one shocking secret after the next as they seek to find the ancient, lost vampire city, hidden deep beneath the Sphinx in Egypt. What they find may just change the destiny of the vampire race for all time. Yet it may still be too late. The Immortalist nation is intent on killing Scarlet and Sage, while Kyle, too, is on a murderous rampage, turning Vivian and the entire high school into his own vampire army, set on destroying the town. In OBSESSED, the shocking finale of the 12 book series THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS, Scarlet and Caitlin will be left with a monumental choice—one that will change the world forever. Will Scarlet make the ultimate sacrifice to save Sage’s life? Will Caitlin give up everything to save her daughter? Will they both risk everything for love? “Morgan Rice proves herself again to be an extremely talented storyteller….This would appeal to a wide range of audiences, including younger fans of the vampire/fantasy genre. It ended with an unexpected cliffhanger that leaves you shocked.” –The Romance Reviews (regarding Loved)

When Harrison orders a bride, he’s hoping Hannah can accept him—scars and all. But when a storm forces them to his cabin before exchanging vows there are no guarantees that she’ll stay put once she discovers who he really is. Hannah didn’t come to Alaska on a whim—she’s resilient, strong, and willing to fight for her happily ever after. But when the storm grows more fierce, Harrison’s past is brought to light. Is Hannah the cure this wounded warrior needs? Or will she leave before they get a chance to find out if love heals all wounds? Dear Reader, This war hero is more than a mountain man—he’s a virgin! This angsty alpha is about to lose his v-card and gain a whole lot of experience! xo, frankie

Facing the loss of a loved one in a death-avoidant culture can be excruciating. Grievers may be expected to put on a brave face, to “move on” quickly, and to seek medication if they are still grief-stricken after an “acceptable” amount of time. Psycho­therapist Judy Heath draws on extensive experience as a grief specialist in private practice to help those struggling with the anguish of loss. Addressing the myths and misinformation about mourning that still abound today, Heath gently coaches readers to understand that coping with loss is a natural process that our society tends to avoid and hurry people through, often leading to unresolved, lasting grief. No Time for Tears offers practical advice for both short- and long-term recovery, including how to manage rarely discussed physical and emotional changes: feelings of “going crazy” and inability to focus; feeling out of sync with the world, exhausted and chilled, and crushingly lonely. This updated second edition includes new information about medication and discusses various types of loss including that of a parent, child, spouse, friend, or pet. Helpful not only to grievers but also to those who care about, counsel, or employ them, No Time for Tears is an essential resource for grief management and recovery.

A comedy about a thirty year-old New Yorker who is in the dark about his family's mafiosa activities and finds himself involved in a vendetta between families and on the hunt for an elusive treasure.<br><br>“Brilliant and dynamic, you will be thrown into an exhilarating adventure for the hunt of a hidden treasure in a captivating New York; in a world where the word 'Mafia' will make you smile. Riddles, pursuits and a comedy of errors surround the characters in a vortex of gags, unaware that they are the center of attention of the 'Family' that wants to protect them; of the ruthless rival mob that threatens them for the loot; and the interest of two confused cops who stalk them in an attempt to figure out what's going on.” “Take a slice of 'The Big Apple' and add two good kids: Ben and Susan. Now blend that with a strong and determined mafia 'Family' that blackmails them, and mix in the frenetic pursuit of a hidden treasure. Spice it up with fervent cops hot on their heels and above all, don't forget to garnish everything with yet another New York rival 'Family', whose Boss is the uncle of the young Ben, that has always protected him. The secret ingredient: Ben must never know about his uncles' true 'business' and must continue to believe that they are honest workers, due to a promise made at the time of his father's death. Serve this in a brilliant and dynamic setting, accompanied with a fresh liveliness...of puzzling riddles, misunderstandings and never-ending pursuits.”

My husband is missing.And his wife is on my doorstep. The wife I never knew he had. Does that mean my husband’s out looking for wife number three? The more I dig… the more I find. Ledger Stone is not the man I thought I knew. What I'd thought was a whirlwind romance has turned out to be a hurricane laced with lies. It started with one. Will it end with another? The Wife Lie is a domestic suspense novel where secrets are buried deep. Penny Stone gave up everything for the husband she thought she knew — and now she must uncover the truth: just how much of her marriage was a lie? And is their love worth fighting for?

Howard Andrew Jones' powerful world-building brings this epic fantasy to life in For The Killing of Kings , the first book of his new adventure-filled trilogy. Their peace was a fragile thing, but it had endured for seven years, mostly because the people of Darassus and the king of the Naor hordes believed his doom was foretold upon the edge of the great sword hung in the hall of champions. Unruly Naor clans might raid across the border, but the king himself would never lead his people to war so long as the blade remained in the hands of his enemies. But when squire Elenai’s aging mentor uncovers evidence that the sword in their hall is a forgery she’s forced to flee Darassus for her life, her only ally the reckless, disillusioned Kyrkenall the archer. Framed for murder and treason, pursued by the greatest heroes of the realm, they race to recover the real sword, only to stumble into a conspiracy that leads all the way back to the Darassan queen and her secretive advisors. They must find a way to clear their names and set things right, all while dodging friends determined to kill them – and the Naor hordes, invading at last with a new and deadly weapon.

"Omega's are supposed to stay quiet. Omega's are supposed to obey. Omega's are supposed to do EVERYTHING I fucking say!" Alpha Morrison said in anger as he spat at me. I lived each day in fear for my life. Wondering what I did wrong to deserve such fate. Was their hatred toward me so strong, they'd happily give me away to a ruthless alpha? Leaving me to fend for myself? Olivia Watson is despised by her pack. Beaten, tortured, and treated as the pack’s slave since the day her mother and brother died. Everyone blamed her for their death, but little did she know there are secrets hidden from her. She finds herself being rejected by her first mate, only to find that her second chance mate is the notorious alpha, Alarick of the Dark Moon Pack. No one really knows him, other than he should never be crossed. The stories she has heard of him make her tremble in fear, but will he really be so bad? After all, every beast has its beauty that can tame him. Will she be the one to tame the beast in him?