Audiobooks narrated by Diana Gardiner

The Fight for Sex Ed: The Century-Long Battle Between Truth and Doctrine

The first comprehensive trade history of sex ed in American schools-and an impassioned call to reform sex ed into a powerful tool for reproductive justice and social equality The U.S. has some of the highest rates of STIs and teen pregnancies in the industrialized world. A comprehensive sex education curriculum-which teaches facts on contraception, prophylactics, consent, and STIs-has been available since the 90s. Yet the majority of states require that sex education stress abstinence, and 22 states do not require sex ed in public schools at all. In The Fight for Sex Ed, writer, advocate, and historian Margaret Myers shows us how we got here. While the earliest calls for sex ed came from a coalition of religious leaders and doctors at the turn of the century who sought to control the prevalence of STIs, the advent of antibiotics and modern condoms meant that abstinence was no longer good public health policy. The religious right, however, continued to frame it as such, using its impressive machinery to replace scientific facts with conservative Christian values. Because sex ed is not mandated at the federal level, these battles have played out locally throughout the decades: through rigged school boards, administrative oustings, court cases, unjust firings, scare tactics, and threats. Myers also shows how the religious right has worked to narrow the discourse around sex ed, often dictating the terms of debate almost entirely. What we teach young people has serious ramifications for reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ rights, gender equality, and public health. Sex education lies at the intersection of these hugely important cultural forces, yet it has been largely invisible. This book illuminates its potential-and its power.

Margaret Grace Myers (Author), Diana Gardiner, TBD (Narrator)

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The Names of God

Tapping Into God's Infinite Supply Each of God's names reveals a wonderful aspect of His nature that can meet your deepest needs, comfort you in times of personal tragedy, and release you to new heights of praise in times of joy. God is so vast that the heavens cannot contain Him. Likewise, His personality is so complex that one name cannot adequately describe Him. Throughout the Bible, God revealed Himself to His people through His various names. When the Israelites were fearful, God revealed Himself as Jehovah Shalom, meaning "the Lord my Peace." When they were uncertain of His will, He revealed Himself as Jehovah Rohi, meaning "the Lord my Shepherd." He is also Jehovah Jireh, "the Lord our Provider," and Jehovah Rophe, "the Lord our Healer." Marilyn Hickey's practical teaching on nineteen different names of God will whet your appetite to pursue fully God's love and purpose for your life.

Marilyn Hickey (Author), Diana Gardiner (Narrator)

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In Your Power: React Less, Regain Control, Raise Others

Be Powerful in a World that Can Make You Feel Powerless Whether dealing with an underperforming team member, an undervaluing boss, an undermining colleague, a difficult family member or partner, or the overwhelm of too much to do, we can find ourselves feeling “out of our power.” In this state of feeling ‘done to,’ emotionally hijacked, or in a mental swirl, the typical things we do to try to make it better often make it worse. Based on her research at Harvard Medical School and twenty years as a business psychologist, Dr. Sharon Melnick, a Marshall Goldsmith Top 100 Coach, shows you how to get back “in your power,” where you see how much you can control to show up as your best self and get the outcome you want. In Your Power: React Less, Regain Control, Raise Others guides you through twelve Power Portals, giving you a new approach to stop reacting to others’ limitations and instead raise yourself and others to be limitless. You will be able to: Reframe the problem to instantly find new solutions that benefit everyone and improve the culture you are all dealing with Neutralize the emotional effects of other people’s negativity, rather than internalizing it, and recover quickly Align others with your vision and powerful truth so they are emotionally moved and engaged to act The insights you’ll learn fuel resilience and well-being, rather than burnout, which comes from lack of power. In Your Power will help you win the promotion, get team members to perform at your standards, grow your business, connect with difficult loved ones, and maximize what you can control in the face of world events. With this bulletproof recipe, you can set the tone and be the best version of yourself all day long, no matter what situation you find yourself in.

Sharon Melnick (Author), Diana Gardiner (Narrator)

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In the Field of Grace

Two women. All alone. With no provision…Can they find hope in a foreign land? Ruth leaves her home with a barren womb and an empty future after losing her husband. She forsakes her abusive parents and follows the woman she has grown to love as a true parent, her late husband's mother, Naomi. Ruth arrives in Israel with nothing to recommend her but Naomi's love. She is destitute, grief-stricken, and unwanted by the people of God. But God has great plans for her. While everyone considers Ruth an unworthy outsider, she is shocked to find the owner of the field—one of the wealthiest and most honored men of Judah—is showing her favor. Long since a widower and determined to stay that way, Boaz finds himself irresistibly drawn to the foreign woman with the dark, haunted eyes. He tells himself he is only being kind to his cousin Naomi's chosen daughter when he goes out of his way to protect her from harm, but his heart knows better. Obstacles. Heartache. Withered dreams. How can God forge love, passion, and new hope between two such different people?

Tessa Afshar (Author), Diana Gardiner (Narrator)

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Harvest of Rubies: (Book 1)

The prophet Nehemiah's cousin can speak numerous languages, keep complex accounts, write on rolls of parchment and tablets of clay, and solve great mysteries. There is only one problem: she's a woman in a man's court. In her early childhood years, Sarah experienced the death of her mother and her father's subsequent emotional distance, and she came to two conclusions: God does not care about me, and my accomplishments are the measure of my worth. Catapulted into the center of the Persian court, Sarah is working too many hours, rubbing elbows with royalty, and solving intrigues for the Queen. Ironically, it isn't failure—but success—that causes Sarah to lose her only source of external validation. Sarah soon learns that she has something of worth to offer beyond her ability with languages and sums; her very being proves to be a blessing to others, particularly the aristocrat Darius, whom she is given to in marriage. Sarah and Darius' story continues in Harvest of Gold. Darius may be able to learn to love his wife, but can he ever learn to trust Sarah and her Lord?

Tessa Afshar (Author), Diana Gardiner (Narrator)

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Harvest of Gold: (Book 2)

A hidden message, treachery, opposition, and a God-given success will lead to an unlikely bounty. In Harvest of Gold (Book 2), the scribe Sarah married Darius, and at times she feels as if she has married the Persian aristocracy, too. There is another point she did not count on in her marriage—Sarah has grown to love her husband. Sarah has wealth, property, honor, and power, but her husband’s love still seems unattainable. Although his mother was an Israelite, Darius remains skeptical that his Jewish wife is the right choice for him, particularly when she conspires with her cousin Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Ordered to assist in the effort, the couple begins a journey to the homeland of his mother’s people. Will the road filled with danger, conflict, and surprising memories, help Darius to see the hand of God at work in his life—and even in his marriage?

Tessa Afshar (Author), Diana Gardiner (Narrator)

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Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Bundle: The Perfect Impression (#13) and The Perfect Deceit (#14)

A bundle of books #13 (THE PERFECT IMPRESSION) and #14 (THE PERFECT DECEIT) in Blake Pierce’s Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Mystery series! This bundle offers books thirteen and fourteen in one convenient file. In THE PERFECT IMPRESSION (Book #13), when a group of couple friends leave their suburban lives to go away together on a vacation to an exclusive resort, their partying gets out of control—and someone ends up dead. As Jessie digs deep into their lives and begins to unearth their secrets, she quickly realizes that their perfect lives are not what they seem—and that a murderer may be amongst them. In THE PERFECT DECEIT (Book #14), when a string of newly-married couples are found murdered in high-end suburbs, Jessie is called in to find the connection between them. Her investigation brings her into the world of exclusive weddings, and a sprawling list of potential suspects. Only one thing is certain: it is a life-and-death race before the killer strikes again. A fast-paced psychological suspense thriller with unforgettable characters and heart-pounding suspense, the JESSIE HUNT suspense series is a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Books #14-19 are also available!

Blake Pierce (Author), Diana Gardiner, Ulka Mohanty (Narrator)

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Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Bundle: The Perfect Deceit (#14) and The Perfect Mistress (#15)

A bundle of books #14 (THE PERFECT DECEIT) and #15 (THE PERFECT MISTRESS) in Blake Pierce’s Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Mystery series! This bundle offers books fourteen and fifteen in one convenient file. In THE PERFECT DECEIT (Book #14), when a string of newly-married couples are found murdered in high-end suburbs, Jessie is called in to find the connection between them. Her investigation brings her into the world of exclusive weddings, and a sprawling list of potential suspects. Only one thing is certain: it is a life-and-death race before the killer strikes again. In THE PERFECT MISTRESS (Book #15), when wealthy suburban women are found murdered in their small town without rhyme or reason, Jessie soon realizes she is up against no ordinary killer. He is an unpredictable psychopath, beyond anyone she’s ever been up against—and she will have to enter the dark canals of his twisted mind if she has any chance of saving the next woman on his list. A fast-paced psychological suspense thriller with unforgettable characters and heart-pounding suspense, the JESSIE HUNT suspense series is a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Books #16-19 are also available!

Blake Pierce (Author), Diana Gardiner, Ulka Mohanty (Narrator)

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Advocating for the Environment: How to Gather Your Power and Take Action

An accessible, solutions-oriented guide for addressing the earth's environmental crisis and enacting meaningful change What can we as ordinary citizens do about climate change?' While countless environmental books focus on the causes of our current crisis, Advocating for the Environment is one of the first to focus on advocacy and policy-based solutions, arming readers with the tools they need to take action and enact change. In Part I, environmental policy expert Susan Inches discusses storytelling, empathy, mindset, and how effective communication can help us collaborate with others, even those with opposing views. Part II focuses on practical skills like coalition building, media relations, communication strategy, and navigating political and bureaucratic obstacles that block large-scale legislation. The book also includes case studies, research, and templates to deepen learning. Professors and teachers, students, legislators, environmental clubs, and church groups will also find useful ideas and strategies on every page.

Susan Inches (Author), Diana Gardiner (Narrator)

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The Perfect Deceit (A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller—Book Fourteen)

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery. Blake Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone) THE PERFECT DECEIT is book #14 in a new psychological suspense series by bestselling author Blake Pierce, which begins with The Perfect Wife, a #1 bestseller (and free download) with over 600 five-star reviews. When a string of newly-married couples are found murdered in high-end suburbs, Jessie is called in to find the connection between them. Her investigation brings her into the world of exclusive weddings, and a sprawling list of potential suspects. Only one thing is certain: it is a life-and-death race before the killer strikes again. A fast-paced psychological suspense thriller with unforgettable characters and heart-pounding suspense, THE JESSIE HUNT series is a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #15 (THE PERFECT MISTRESS) is now also available.

Blake Pierce (Author), Diana Gardiner (Narrator)

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Love in the Age of Ecological Apocalypse: Cultivating the Relationships We Need to Thrive

Given the daunting, dire predicament in which we find ourselves on this planet, what is described by social critic James Howard Kunstler as a 'Long Emergency' may in fact become a 'Last Emergency' for humanity. Whether we encounter a 'long' or a 'last' emergency, Carolyn Baker seeks to offer inspiration and guidance for inhabiting our remaining days with passion, vitality, empathy, intimate contact with our emotions, kindness in our relationships with all species, gratitude, open-hearted receptivity, exquisite creations of beauty, and utilizing every occasion, even our demise, as an opportunity to invoke and 'inflict' joy in our world. Love in the Age of Ecological Apolcalypse addresses an array of relationships in the Last Emergency and how one's relationship with oneself may enrich or impede interactions with all other beings. Drawing upon her deep experience as a life coach, Baker writes of the specific need to understand our key relationships in a society in collapse, and how to navigate through differing levels of acceptance of collapse, trauma, and grief. Key relationships include those with our partners, children, friends, neighbors, as well as relationships with our work, our bodies, our natural resources, food and eating, animals, future generations, Eros, and indeed, the powers of the universe. Baker's writing is engaging, inspiring, and often beautiful in its depth and candor. She introduces a variety of spiritual practices facilitate our developing a relationship with the deeper Self. With these practices and giving and receiving support from others who are walking a similar path, we begin to live more frequently from the deeper Self, or at least are able to access it more quickly when we find ourselves becoming embroiled in the ego. Table Of Contents • Introduction • Chapter 1: Living, Loving, and Preparing With A Reluctant Partner • Chapter 2: Children And Collapse • Chapter 3: Friends, Neighbors, and The Community • Chapter 4: Work and The Creative Soul • Chapter 5: Our Relationship With Resources • Chapter 6: Loving The Body As The World Falls Apart • Chapter 7: Our Relationship With Food: Mindful Eating As A Spiritual Practice • Chapter 8: Loving The Time Of Your Life • Chapter 9: What An Animal You Are! • Chapter 10: Darkness Matters • Chapter 11: Ensconsed In Eros, Bathed In Beauty • Chapter 12: Our Relationship With The Powers of The Universe • Chapter 13: Near-Term Extinction And Waking Up To Death • Chapter 14: Empire, I Wish I Knew How To Quit You • Chapter 15: Grief And Love In A Culture Of Congestive Heart Failure • Chapter 16: Our Relationship With Future Generations

Carolyn Baker (Author), Diana Gardiner (Narrator)

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Collapsing Consciously: Transformative Truths for Turbulent Times

A collection of probing essays and weekly meditations, this book addresses how to prepare emotionally and spiritually for the impending collapse of industrial civilization. Author Carolyn Baker offers wisdom, inspiration, and a sense of spiritual purpose for anyone who is concerned about the daunting future humankind has created. The author's introduction to Collapsing Consciously articulates our current predicament of economic collapse, environmental degradation, and global conflict and expresses the confusion, anxiety, grief, anger, and despair we all experience when we take a hard look at the present-day global crisis and the likely future of the planet. But rather than showing us ways to prevent the collapse, Baker argues that the demise of our consumerist, corporate culture is inevitable, and that it is crucial to prepare emotionally and spiritually for the certain changes to come. Part 1 is a collection of seventeen essays which argue that while the collapse of industrial society cannot be prevented, its meaning extends far beyond tragedy and loss. These essays ask the reader to delve inward and discover the limitless treasures of the soul, as well as the gratification and exhilaration to be discovered in joining with community in preparing for the future. In part 2, Baker offers fifty-two weekly meditations comprised of spiritual wisdom, inspiration, paradox, comfort, humor, irony, and a persistent challenge to create and savor beauty in the world, regardless of how bleak the future may appear. Collapsing Consciously is a refreshing take on the perilous present and the grim prospects for our future. Instead of quoting discouraging statistics about our predicament, Baker offers a deeper perspective that makes sense of a world that most of the time appears psychotic or even surreal. Through inspiration and perennial wisdom she has created a manual for making meaning and generating joy, especially in situations that feel hopelessly devoid of both. An ebook containing additional meditations is also available: Collapsing Consciously Meditations: Further Reflections for Turbulent Times, ISBN 978-1-58394-758-6.

Carolyn Baker, Carolyn Baker, Ph.D. (Author), Diana Gardiner (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Diana Gardiner