Audiobooks narrated by A'rese Emokpae

Dera Edwards knows her life is over when she's shipped off to live with her estranged father in the middle of White Suburbia. To make matters worse, Dera learns that her new school doesn't have a girls' track team, shattering her dreams of getting a track scholarship and, one day, competing in the Olympics. Not one to give up easily, Dera joins the boys' team instead. But while she has the school administration's blessing, her new teammates and classmates are less than welcoming. Between that and her frustratingly distant father, Dera is positive her junior year is ruined. Just as she starts to accept her status as an outsider, Dera's approached by her classmate Rosalyn, who wants to feature Dera's story in her blog. Eager to change the narrative and spend more time with Rosalyn's gorgeous cousin Gael-also known as one of the few teammates who will talk to her-Dera agrees. But when she goes viral and gains attention across the state, Dera's new notoriety opens the door for trolls both online and at school. Paired with her deteriorating relationship with her father, she soon finds everything to be too much. Will Dera be able to keep outrunning her problems, or will her dream be the very thing that derails her?

Amaka Egbe (Author), A'rese Emokpae, TBD (Narrator)

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The Unshaming Way: A Compassionate Guide to Dismantling Shame--Heal from trauma, unlearn self-blame,

"In this astute work, David Bedrick provides a deep investigation of shame, the most debilitating of our mind states, and offers a workable, practice-based, and accessible path to divesting ourselves from it." -Gabor Maté, MD, New York Times best-selling author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts An empowering, stigma-free approach to dismantling shame-a trauma-informed guide to restoring our authentic self Shame affects us all…often in ways we might not expect. Author, mental health expert, and professor David Bedrick helps us understand how shame shows up-and offers a revolutionary, stigma-free model to help us unshame and release its hold on our happiness. Shame is more than feeling guilty, sad, or responsible. It develops when we experience a trauma but can't access the tools or freedom to express how we feel-or are denied the ability to ask for the care we need. It shows up when we aren't witnessed-whether by a loved one, our community, our culture, or anyone from whom we need to hear: whatever happened to you, these parts of you that you think are unlovable or wrong-you're not broken. I see you. Bedrick helps readers bring shame out of the shadows, inviting us to get to know it and listen to its wisdom without minimizing our traumas or pathologizing our experiences. He helps us move from seeing shame as a feeling toward holding it as an internal viewpoint-and offers us practical tools and exercises to dismantle the narratives that hold us back from living our lives whole, free, and in alignment with our most authentic selves.

David Bedrick (Author), A'rese Emokpae (Narrator)

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Movement for Every Body: An Inclusive Fitness Guide for Better Movement--Build mind-body awareness,

With humor, empathy, and expertise, a Black, femme, disabled, and neurodivergent physical therapist retraces their journey through a weaponized fitness culture, sharing an alternative path to honor all bodies and needs. An inclusive, full-color guide to improving mobility, building strength, and increasing flexibility for every body and any size, shape, and ability Here's an idea: exercise should be enjoyable-not punishing, elitist, or overly competitive. Nor should gym work cause us harm or bring us shame. Part exercise manual and part workbook, Movement for Every Body celebrates this approach and champions an inclusive movement practice for anyone who doesn't fit the 'typical' fitness mold and doesn't wish to- who refuses burdensome narratives that tell them they're broken and need to be fixed, cured, or mended to be whole. With journaling and reflective prompts and activities; helpful tips covering accommodations, mobility aids, and self-advocacy strategies; and highly adaptable exercise demonstrations reflecting a broad range of body types, physical abilities, and mobility aids, Movement for Every Body provides the instruction and validation needed to redefine our approaches, goals, and pleasures around exercise and ability.

Marcia Dernie (Author), A'rese Emokpae, Tba (Narrator)

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Modern Tantric Buddhism: Embodiment and Authenticity in Dharma Practice

This essential guide to socially engaged Tantric Buddhism reveals how modern practitioners can use the wisdom of the Vajrayana to confront systems of power and abuse. Today, a new generation of Buddhists searches for ways to adopt Vajrayana while staying true to its historical legacy. Modern Tantric Buddhism unpacks the principles and applications of this esoteric practice in an accessible and meaningful manner, connecting its roots to a socially engaged, modern-day dharma. Taking a traditional Tibetan pedagogical approach, Lama Justin von Bujdoss divides the book into 3 thematic sections: • Body, as it applies to physicality and embodiment • Speech, or ethical action • Mind, the context of awakening Von Bujdoss challenges assumptions about what it means to be a socially engaged Buddhist, and presents Tantra as an ideal vehicle for critically examining today's most pressing social issues while confronting the structural inequities of patriarchy, sexism, colonialism, and racism within Buddhist institutions.

Justin Von Bujdoss (Author), A'rese Emokpae (Narrator)

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Dark Blood Awakens

Dark Blood Awakens is a paranormal urban fantasy incorporating Black girl magic with myths from the African diaspora. As a child, Makeda’s mom forced her to abandon sorcery. Instead, she pursued a career in nursing while killing monsters with her family of mwindaji. For over a millennium, the mwindaji have hunted Korlemo, a 1000-year-old vampire. While working in Haiti, Makeda’s desire to recapture her sorcery skills increases. When a lead takes her to a Kentucky rural hospital searching for Korlemo, she uses Baoumali, the language of sorceresses, to reclaim her heritage. During her investigation, Makeda develops a steamy romance with the local sheriff and uncovers a macabre secret the hospital administration will kill to keep silent. With time running out, Makeda must recapture her sorcery and choose where her alliances lie. If the mwindaji cannot destroy the monsters haunting the hospital, people will die—starting with her boyfriend.

Michelle Corbier (Author), A'rese Emokpae (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by A'rese Emokpae