Showing results by narrator "Courtney Patterson" in All Categories

When Sue Glassman's family needs a new home, Sue relents, after years of resisting, and agrees to convert to Judaism. In return Sue's father-in-law, Sy, buys the family - Sue, Dan, and their two daughters - a capacious but ramshackle beachfront house in Rockaway, Queens, a world away from the Glassmans' cramped Tribeca apartment. The catch? Sy is moving in, too. And the house is haunted.

A completely revised and updated values-based guide to navigating the first year of college that speaks to college students in their own language and offers practical tools that listeners need to keep from drinking, sleeping, or skipping their way out of college. In the four years since its initial publication, The Freshman Survival Guide has helped thousands of first year students make a successful transition to college life. However, much has changed on campuses.

Gwen, the straight-talking narrator of this poignant tale, has always kept herself moving from one place to the next. But when she meets Danny, a Blackfoot Indian, she glimpses what it might be like to feel grounded. Drawn to an increasingly longer stay in East Fork, Montana, amidst the trailer parks, stray dogs, and mountains, Gwen allows herself to hope. This story, about loss and something like love, is a skillful study of people and place.

Paris. 1968. A young woman has an affair. The one-night stand may be a failure, but the buttery croissant she eats on a snowy morning-after is not. Even after she marries and has children, time won't stop polishing that simple memory, until it glows in unexpected ways.

Set in San Francisco and North Carolina, the linked stories in Damn Love introduce us to characters struggling with love in all its complicated forms, including a young doctor getting over a breakup with the help of a patient, a newly married gay man who reconnects with his estranged mother, a trio of physicists caught in a surprising love triangle, and a soldier who takes secrets with her to the Iraqi desert.

Together as husband and wife, Nick Ward and Lena Grant ran a successful boutique law firm in Minneapolis, vanquishing all their legal foes side by side. When Nick’s charmingly erratic behavior finally became too much for Lena, the marriage and the partnership ended. But like C. K. Dexter Haven and Tracy Lord it seems that Lena and Nick just can’t quite separate. Lena works out fiercely, keeps her dates with the boring and conventional Preston Winter, and daily battles on against corporate greed. But Nick’s not doing so well. Still brilliant and devilishly clever, he is now also almost crazy....

From African American to Asian American, indigenous to immigrant, "multiracial" to "mixedblood," the diversity of cultures in this world is matched only by the diversity of stories explaining our cultural origins: stories of creation and destruction, displacement and heartbreak, hope and mystery.

Everyone thought reckless, troubled Geraldine Monroe was the bad sister - especially when she fled town after her mother's death 25 years ago. But people don't know the truth. Marie Monroe knows. She was there for their father's cruel punishments, the constant manipulation, the lies. Everyone thinks she's the perfect daughter - patient and kind, and above all obedient. No one would suspect her of anything. Especially not murder. Now Geraldine's home again, and she and Marie have united in a plan for the ultimate revenge.

In 1878, Elder Joseph Standing traveled into the Appalachian mountains of North Georgia, seeking converts for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sixteen months later, he was dead, murdered by a group of 12 men. Most accounts of this event have linked Standing's murder to the virulent 19th-century anti-Mormonism that also took the life of prophet Joseph Smith and to an enduring southern tradition of extralegal violence.

This Appalachian Big Creek sequel is set in West Virginia, during the 1920s, where granny witches and spiritualism often show the path for wanderers to take, especially in matters of the heart. Emerald Ashby's younger sister, Coral, determines to visit the family's nemesis, Charlie, now stewing in prison. When Mercy returns to the holler of Big Creek, she comes well-armed to re-enter Ernst's life, but he has already found a new romantic attraction. No matter, Mercy has brought along her own spiritual tools and a special friend who guides her way around this inconvenience.

Cleverly suspenseful and sweetly spoken, the storyteller's unassuming voice transforms an Appalachian trail of tears into holy terror against an evil that stalks the innocent. In The Whispering of the Willows, an Appalachian marriage practice might be compared to the modern sex trade which exploits young females. Not since Catherine Marshall's strong heroine named Christy, has an Appalachian drama come to life like The Whispering of the Willows.

At 26 years old, Kat is still living in the shadows of her family in Bayou Bend, Louisiana. Still working shifts at her Aunt Maggie's bakery. Still wondering what to do with her passion for baking and her business degree. And still single. But when Lucas Brannen, Kat's best friend, signs her up for a reality TV bake-off on Cupcake Combat, everything Kat ever wanted is suddenly dangled in front of her: creative license as a baker, recognition as a visionary...and a job at a famous bakery in New York. As the competition heats up, Lucas realizes he might have made a huge mistake.

When an old college roommate invites Claire Britten to join her on an archaeological dig at a Florida peat bog, it's an offer the renowned forensic psychologist can't refuse. Claire's husband, criminal lawyer Nick Markwood, is comforted to see Claire working on a prehistoric burial site instead of an open grave for once. But Claire's investigative instincts kick in when some of The Black Bog's perfectly preserved corpses show signs of a grisly fate. What really happened to these people?

The Kaplan family has just won $10 million in the lottery. But haven’t they always been lucky? Gwen thought so. She’s carefully curated a perfect suburban existence with a loving husband and two children. For over a decade, she’s been a stay-at-home mom. As the Kaplans navigate the notoriety that the lottery brings and try to adjust to their new lives in the upper class, a tightly held secret is unlocked, and Gwen's meticulously constructed identity as the good wife and mother begins to crack.

This book presents the latest research on status generalization in a variety of settings, examining new interventions for its negative effects. Drawing from research in sociology, social psychology, education, organizations, mental health, and other fields, the book connects to several bodies of research that include stigma and stereotyping, exchange and power, and organizations. With its balanced, multidisciplinary approach to the challenges of social hierarchies and expectations, Unequals is an essential volume for all interested in status processes and inequalities.

Respected DEI expert Sara Taylor presents a down-to-earth guide on how to tackle unconscious biases and foster true equity in our rapidly changing world. Through relatable examples and practical strategies, listeners learn to deliberately slow down their thought processes and become aware of their filters in various situations. Taylor encourages listeners to question their own assumptions by asking, "Do I know that what I'm thinking is actually true?" and "Why might I be reacting this way?"

Every case that Claire Britten cracks is a win, not only professionally but personally. The forensic psychologist has spent a lifetime fighting a neurological disorder, and her ability to conquer it is a testament to her razor-sharp intuition. Nick Markwood is used to winning in the courtroom, so when his latest case is overthrown by Claire's expert testimony, he can't help being impressed by her skill. He needs her on the team of his passion project - investigating unusual cases involving mysterious deaths.

After barely surviving her first six months as a trauma intern at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Dr. Elizabeth Roberts is exhausted from the long hours, senseless violence, and breakneck pace. Despite the tough experience, she has grown to love the city-its food, culture, music, and people. But now she must endure the hardest rotation in the hospital, and it's led by her nemesis, who doesn't think she belongs in the world of surgery.

Are you ready to unlock the boundless world of art and embrace your creative potential? In Art, You Be the Judge: Reawaken Your Instincts and Enjoy Art on Your Own Terms, renowned artist Louise Seirmarco-Yale reveals a simple but groundbreaking truth: art is not reserved for a select few. It belongs to everyone. This transformative guide defies societal norms, empowering you to reconnect with your inner creative voice and redefine your relationship with art. You’ll discover that your unique perspectives are worthy of being heard and will learn how to trust and embrace your creative instincts.

Who’s sabotaging Sebastian Cross’s elite dog training facility? Or is his long-time friend, vet Ruby Colton, the real target? The ex-marine and feisty vet work together to find the culprit and prevent further carnage…until one night of passion leaves Ruby pregnant. Sebastian’s PTSD and Ruby’s fierce independence mean neither wants marriage and family. But danger has a way of changing lives…and love.