Showing results by narrator "Vanessa DeSilvio" in All Categories

September 11, 1973: Eleven-year-old Alejandro Penda watches from his apartment window as Santiago, Chile falls to a military coup, destroying his family and his childhood. Arriving alone in America, he’s taken in by the Larks: a prominent family in the town of Guelisten. Though burdened by unresolved grief for his disappeared parents, he becomes fiercely loyal to the Larks, eventually marrying one of their daughters, Valerie.

College freshman Erik Fiskare loves the theater, but he's more intrigued by the wizardry behind the red curtain than the spectacle center stage. That is until Daisy Bianco steps into the spotlight. The moment Erik lays eyes on this ballerina, his atoms rearrange, and the young stagehand will never be the same.

It's been three years since a single lapse of judgment cost Daisy the love of her life. Erik was a conduit to her soul but now he's chosen a path of total disconnection, refusing to speak to her or acknowledge her betrayal. Alone and shattered, Daisy attempts to take responsibility for her actions while building her career as a professional dancer in New York City. But Erik's unforgiving estrangement proves too much for her strength. Plagued by flashbacks to the Lancaster shootings, she falls into a dangerous spiral of self-harm.

Grace thinks she's finally found a place to belong. Coming off of 10 years of tragedy and disappointments, her arrival at The Snowflake Inn finally gives her a reason to have hope for her future and the possibility of her forever home. Until one man arrives with the power to take it all away. Riley's world has been turned upside down. He's back at the one place that he never wanted to return to, and it looks like he may be staying longer than he planned.

All lifelong friends Lily Cavanaugh and Cameron Greene want is a chance to enjoy the Christmas season. What's stopping them? Their matchmaking parents, who seem determined to set the two of them up on some of the worst blind dates in the history of dating. They've identified the problem and have come up with the perfect solution - they will pretend to be dating in order to get their parents off of their backs and finally have a chance to enjoy a peaceful Christmas.

Invisible Target is a true, detailed account of one girl’s experience of educator sexual abuse at the hands of her middle school teacher. It follows her journey, beginning with her tumultuous childhood, meeting the teacher, and the grooming process he created to lure her into a false sense of trust. After years of abuse, she finally found the courage to bravely break away from her abuser. More than a memoir, this book provides thought-provoking questions at the close of each chapter and serves as a strong educational tool for students, parents, teachers, and administrators.

Plenty of fish in the sea. But none like the ones that got away. Author Suanne Laqueur gives her listeners an intimate, guided tour of the award-winning novel, The Man I Love. From the embryonic chapters written over 20 years ago to scenes cut from the final draft, you'll witness the crafting of an emotional journey and the evolution of the beloved characters within The Fish Tales.

Instantly recognisable, rising out of New York Harbour, she stands like an ancient goddess guarding the gates to the city. For many she is the symbol of freedom, welcoming outcasts to the shores of a new land. But who is Lady Liberty? And how did she come to be a symbol of hope for so many? The Statue of Liberty is a masterpiece of art and engineering. It is one of the few enduring symbols of America. But did you know that this statue was actually a gift from the people of France?

The year is 1972, and the beaches of Los Angeles are the center of the world. Dropping into the embers of the drug and surf scene is Suzy Whitman, who has tossed her newly minted Vassar degree aside to follow her older sister into open skies and the borderless adventures of stewardessing for Grand Pacific Airlines. In Sela del Mar, California - a hedonistic beach town in the shadow of LAX - Suzy skateboards, suntans, and flies daily and nightly across the country.

In Knot the One, Stacey Becker shares her story of getting dumped right before her wedding and how it became one of life's greatest fortuitous nightmares. While working as a lawyer in DC, Stacey turned to online dating after finding it increasingly difficult to meet people the "normal" way. So, she felt fortunate when she met Brad and formed an immediate connection with him after dating for only a short while.

Everything changes the night of Olivia's sweet 16 sleepover birthday party. Violet, the shy, mysterious new girl in town, suggests the girls play a scary game called Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board, during which she makes up elaborate stories about the future ways in which beautiful Olivia, brassy Candace, and athletic Mischa will die. The game unsettles McKenna because she's already escaped death once in her life, but she doesn't want to ruin her friends' fun. It's only a game, she reminds herself.

Love is never so sweet as when it receives a second chance. In the sequel to her award-winning novel The Man I Love, Suanne Laqueur continues the story of Erik Fiskare's romance with Daisy Bianco. Though separated for 12 years, the extraordinary bond forged in their youth has endured. But when your soulmate has caused you indescribable pain, how easy is it to forgive? How much trust is needed to place your heart back into the hands that once broke it?

The Empire State Building towers above the midtown district of New York City. Its solitary spire now stands out on the city skyline, no longer matched by the twin towers of the World Trade Centre. It is once again the tallest building in the city. But it is no longer the tallest in the world, a title it held for an unmatched 40 years. Its quiet elegance reflects the functionality of its form as well as the distinctive Art Deco style. It is a symbol of American commercial ambition and it is a symbol of the American Dream.

Central Park is a haven for New Yorkers and a tourist’s paradise. Nestled among some of the tallest buildings in one of the most densely populated cities in the world, Central Park stretches out, taking up 840 acres of prime real estate. It is first and foremost an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Some may think the city was built around the park, but it is entirely man-made, a tribute to modern architecture and landscaping. And it might not exist today had the people of New York not fought for it for over 150 years.

The Rockefeller family has been one of the most influential in American history. Universities, halls and parks all bear the name of and are dedicated to members of this prominent New York family. Over the last hundred years, the Rockefellers have spent billions of dollars in acts of philanthropy or charity. They have had a hand in moulding the modern-day New York City. And the Rockefeller Centre stands as the Rockefellers’ greatest and most influential real estate contribution to this city.

Juleón "Jude" Tholet has survival in his DNA. His father, Cleon, lived through imprisonment and torture during Pinochet's military coup in Chile. His mother, Penny, risked everything to gain her husband's freedom and flee the country with their newborn son. But as a closeted gay teenager growing up in Vancouver, Jude is targeted by a neighborhood bully called el Cóndor, culminating in a vicious hate crime that forces the Tholets to flee their country again.

Where can you find Ancient Greek and Roman artefacts sitting with twentieth century French impressionist masterpieces? Where can shining suits of armour be compared with traditional Korean dresses? One of the world’s largest and most encyclopaedic collections of art lies in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Affectionately known as The ‘Met’, it is the largest art museum in the Western Hemisphere, housing over 2 million artefacts.

Times Square stands proudly in the centre of New York City. Broadway meets Seventh Avenue in a place where tourists meet and fall in love with New York. The bright lights and billboards that seem to stretch on forever are just part of what makes Times Square so famous and so attractive. It is also the centre of New York’s famous Broadway theatre district and is the place where millions of people come together to bring in the New Year.