Audiobooks narrated by Kevin Stillwell

Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley

Careless Love is the full, true, and mesmerizing story of Elvis Presley's last two decades, in the long-awaited second volume of Peter Guralnick's masterful two-part biography. Last Train to Memphis, the first part of Guralnick's two-volume life of Elvis Presley, was acclaimed by the New York Times as "a triumph of biographical art." This concluding volume recounts the second half of Elvis' life in rich and previously unimagined detail, and confirms Guralnick's status as one of the great biographers of our time. Beginning with Presley's army service in Germany in 1958 and ending with his death in Memphis in 1977, Careless Love chronicles the unravelling of the dream that once shone so brightly, homing in on the complex playing-out of Elvis' relationship with his Machiavellian manager, Colonel Tom Parker. It's a breathtaking revelatory drama that for the first time places the events of a too-often mistold tale in a fresh, believable, and understandable context. Elvis' changes during these years form a tragic mystery that Careless Love unlocks for the first time. This is the quintessential American story, encompassing elements of race, class, wealth, sex, music, religion, and personal transformation. Written with grace, sensitivity, and passion, Careless Love is a unique contribution to our understanding of American popular culture and the nature of success, giving us true insight at last into one of the most misunderstood public figures of our times.

Peter Guralnick (Author), Kevin Stillwell (Narrator)

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Before He Wakes: A True Story of Money, Marriage, Sex and Murder

She led an almost perfect life, and committed an almost perfect crime. Barbara Stager appeared to be a devoted mother, loving wife, and dedicated church leader in her Durham, North Carolina community. When she "accidentally" shot her husband, popular high school coach Russ, the police were inclined to believe her-until they found out ten years earlier her first husband had died in a strangely similar way. Detective Rick Buchanan's relentless investigations into Stager's life revealed a stunning vortex of compulsive lying, obsessive spending, and sexual promiscuity. With every shocking new discovery, more of Barbara's impeccable image unraveled. But the greatest shock-a damning piece of evidence Russ Stager left behind-revealed the nightmare truth about Barbara. New York Times bestselling author Jerry Bledsoe takes us deep into one of the most spellbinding cases of double life, lethal lust, and almost perfect murder.

Jerry Bledsoe (Author), Kevin Stillwell (Narrator)

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A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear: The Utopian Plot to Liberate an American Town (And Some Bears)

A tiny American town's plans for radical self-government overlooked one hairy detail: no one told the bears. Once upon a time, a group of libertarians got together and hatched the Free Town Project, a plan to take over an American town and completely eliminate its government. In 2004, they set their sights on Grafton, NH, a barely populated settlement with one paved road. When they descended on Grafton, public funding for pretty much everything shrank: the fire department, the library, the schoolhouse. State and federal laws became meek suggestions, scarcely heard in the town's thick wilderness. The anything-goes atmosphere soon caught the attention of Grafton's neighbors: the bears. Freedom-loving citizens ignored hunting laws and regulations on food disposal. They built a tent city in an effort to get off the grid. The bears smelled food and opportunity. A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear is the sometimes funny, sometimes terrifying tale of what happens when a government disappears into the woods. Complete with gunplay, adventure, and backstabbing politicians, this is the ultimate story of a quintessential American experiment -- to live free or die, perhaps from a bear.

Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling (Author), Kevin Stillwell (Narrator)

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Secret Formula: The Inside Story of How Coca-Cola Became the Best-Known Brand in the World

Secret Formula follows the colorful characters who turned a relic from the patent medicine era into a company worth $80 billion. Award-winning reporter Frederick Allen's engaging account begins with Asa Candler, a nineteenth-century pharmacist in Atlanta who secured the rights to the original Coca-Cola formula and then struggled to get the cocaine out of the recipe. After many tweaks, he finally succeeded in turning a backroom belly-wash into a thriving enterprise. Written with unprecedented access to Coca-Cola's archives, as well as the inner circle and private papers of Woodruff, Allen's captivating business biography stands as the definitive account of what it took to build America's most iconic company and one of the world's greatest business success stories.

Frederick Allen (Author), Kevin Stillwell (Narrator)

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Mercury Rises

Fresh off their successful quest to thwart not one, but two diabolical plots to destroy the world, jaded reported Christine Temetri and rough cherub Mercury find that mysterious powers outranking even the Heavenly bureaucracy seem intent on keeping the Apocalypse on track. Mercury Rises continues author Robert Kroese's tale of the heroic cherub Mercury, who is generally well-intentioned, rarely well-behaved, and always well-armed with a droll remark. While the world is plagued by natural disasters and nations prepare for war, crazed billionaire Horace Finch plots to use a secret device hidden beneath the African desert to discover the deepest secrets of the Universe - even if he has to destroy the Universe to do it. Meanwhile, unassuming FBI investigator Jacob Slater tries to find a rational explanation for the mysterious destruction of downtown Anaheim - a quest that ultimately brings him face to face with the unhinged Horace Finch. Together, Christine, Jacob and Mercury must stop Finch from activating the device and tearing reality to pieces. Kroese's rapid-fire sense of humor and razor-sharp wit keep Mercury Rises moving at breakneck speed, hurtling toward a climax that is as funny as it is satisfying.

Robert Kroese (Author), Kevin Stillwell (Narrator)

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The Occupy Handbook

Analyzing the movement's deep-seated origins in questions that the country has sought too long to ignore, some of the greatest economic minds and most incisive cultural commentators - from Paul Krugman, Robin Wells, Michael Lewis, Robert Reich, Amy Goodman, Barbara Ehrenreich, Gillian Tett, Scott Turow, Bethany McLean, Brandon Adams, and Tyler Cowen to prominent labor leaders and young, cutting-edge economists and financial writers whose work is not yet widely known - capture the Occupy Wall Street phenomenon in all its ragged glory, giving listeners an on-the-scene feel for the movement as it unfolds while exploring the heady growth of the protests, considering the lasting changes wrought, and recommending reform. A guide to the occupation, THE OCCUPY HANDBOOK is a talked-about source for understanding why 1% of the people in America take almost a quarter of the nation's income and the long-term effects of a protest movement that even the objects of its attack can find little fault with.

Janet Byrne (Author), Dikran Tulane, Kevin Stillwell, Samantha Worthen (Narrator)

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Glass Jaw: A Manifesto for Defending Fragile Reputations in an Age of Instant Scandal

In an age when scandal can destroy a company's brand or anyone's reputation in an instant-GLASS JAW is an Art of War guide to modern crisis management. In boxing terms, a tough-looking fighter who can't take a punch is said to have a "glass jaw," and so it is these days with targets of controversy. Down the rabbit hole of scandal, the weak are strong and the strong are weak. Just consider this slate of recent reputational body blows: Toyota, Susan G. Komen, Paula Deen, Tiger Woods, Joe Paterno, BP, the Duke Lacrosse players, Lance Armstrong, and Anthony Weiner. GLASS JAW is a manifesto for these times, written by crisis management veteran Eric Dezenhall, who has spent three decades dealing with some of the most intense controversies, both known and . . . handled with discretion. In the current digital age, the fundamental nature of controversy is viral, rendering once-mighty organizations and individuals powerless against scandal. In GLASS JAW, Dezenhall analyzes scandal and demystifies the paper tiger "spin" industry, offering lessons, corrective measures, and counterintuitive insights, such as: -How there really is no "getting ahead" of a bad story (and other clichés from the media) -The perils of navigating the "Fiasco Vortex" -The art (and transaction) of the public apology -Why a crisis is not an opportunity -The Nixon Fallacy: if only he had just said "I screwed up," the whole thing would have gone away (not a chance) -How you are the enemy: the self-sabotage of selfies, tweets, emailing before thinking, technology creep, the privacy vacuum, and the industrialization of leaking. From the boardroom to the parenting messaging board, scandals erupt every day. GLASS JAW explains this changing nature of controversy and offers readers counterpunches to best protect themselves.

Eric Dezenhall (Author), Kevin Stillwell (Narrator)

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The Hollywood Godfather:The Life and Crimes of Billy Wilkerson

This is the definitive biography of the most powerful man in Hollywood during the 1930's, '40s and '50s, the man who founded The Hollywood Reporter and the most storied nightspots of the Sunset Strip. In the thirty years as Tinseltown's premier behind-the-scenes power broker, Billy Wilkerson introduced Clark Gable and Lana Turner to the world, brought the Mafia to Hollywood, and engineered the shakedown of the Hollywood studios by Willie Bioff and his mob-run unions. He also helped to invent Las Vegas, tangled with Bugsy Siegel (and possibly was involved with his murder), and touched off the Hollywood blacklist. Perhaps nobody in Hollywood history has ever ruined so many careers or done so much to reshape the movie industry as Billy Wilkerson, yet there has never been a solid biography of the man. Billy's son, William R. Wilkerson III, has done tremendous research on his father, interviewing over several decades, everyone who knew him best, and he portrays him beautifully and damningly in this book.

W. R. Wilkerson Iii (Author), Kevin Stillwell (Narrator)

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All God's Creatures: DAILY DEVOTIONS for ANIMAL LOVERS

Animals are God's gift to humans. They are instruments of His Grace blessed with a special gift for comforting us when we are down, filling us with joy at just the right moment, and encouraging us on our walk of faith. That's why Guideposts created All God's Creatures. This beautiful new devotional begins in May 2019 to capture that joyous feeling that fills each one of us when spring arrives and warmer weather pushes out the dreary days of winter. Spring officially arrives in March, but May is when all of God's Creatures burst into life with the sweet vibrations of spring. It's the perfect time for a new devotional that brings you a refreshing new way to spend time in His Word.

Davalynn Spencer, Eryn Lynum, Ginger Kolbaba, Jeannette Hanscome, Linda Neukrug, Lori Stanley Roeleveld, Marianne Campbell, Peggy Frezon, Pepper Basham, Sabra Ciancanelli, Xochitl E. Dixon (Author), Kevin Stillwell, Widdi Turner (Narrator)

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Broken Roads: Returning to My Amish Father

In this insightful memoir, the New York Times bestselling author of Growing Up Amish tries to reconcile his father, family, and heritage after leaving his faith behind. In Broken Roads, Ira Wagler uses his singular voice to unapologetically, but compassionately, illuminate the inner world of the Amish community through his story of life after leaving, what feels like his inevitable return to his Amish father, and how they might mend the relationship between them before it's too late. Through difficult reunions, struggles confronted, and betrayals revisited, Wagler explores burning questions of faith and identity shared by millions, whether Amish or not. Readers may recognize themselves along these paths with Wagler, as he grapples with choices, faith, family, the past, and the future.

Ira Wagler (Author), Ira Wagler, Kevin Stillwell (Narrator)

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Cajun Justice

Brought to you by Penguin. From the world's bestselling thriller writer comes an international thriller going from the Bayou in Louisiana to Tokyo, Japan as justice is served. Cain Lemaire, a Secret Service agent from New Orleans, has the dream job he’s always wanted – until a single night results in a scandal that loses him his post. Needing a new direction, Cain follows his sister to Japan and takes a job in Tokyo as head of security for the CEO of a top company. But what he thought was a simple security assignment unravels into a tangled web of corruption, greed and extortion. Without the wealth of resources he had with the Secret Service, Cain will have to rely on his instincts and training as he races to find justice the way only a born and raised Cajun can. (C) James Patterson 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

James Patterson (Author), Kevin Stillwell (Narrator)

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Another Life: On Memory, Language, Love, and the Passage of Time

A rewarding philosophical essay on memory, language, love, and the passage of time, from a Greek immigrant who became one of Sweden’s most highly respected writers “Nobody should write after the age of seventy-five,” a friend had said. At seventy-seven, struggling with the weight of writer’s block, Theodor Kallifatides makes the difficult decision to sell the Stockholm studio where he diligently worked for decades and retire. Unable to write, and yet unable to not write, he travels to his native Greece in the hope of rediscovering that lost fluidity of language. In this slim memoir, Kallifatides explores the interplay of meaningful living and meaningful work, and the timeless question of how to reconcile oneself to aging. But he also comments on worrying trends in contemporary Europe—from religious intolerance and prejudice against immigrants to housing crises and gentrification—and his sadness at the battered state of his beloved Greece. Kallifatides offers an eloquent, thought-provoking meditation on the writing life, and an author’s place in a changing world.

Theodor Kallifatides (Author), Kevin Stillwell (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Kevin Stillwell