EXPLORE NEIGHBORLEE, OHIO -- Humorous contemporary urban fantasy

Neighborlee, Ohio Book 9

Return of the Living Proof

 

What do a pregnant, shape-changing, interdimensional visitor, a questionable summer job at an even more questionable new business, a college life sciences project, and returning nemeses have to do with finally finding out what happened to Charlie and Rainbow Zephyr?

 

That's what Lanie and her growing team of allies are trying to figure out.

Cerb is back, with Loralee, the "girl" of his dreams -- both of them stuck in dog shape while on Earth -- and looking forward to a "blessed event." Instead of suffering cravings, Loralee digs up Lanie's yard, in her sleep, uncovering jewels and bones and trouble.

 

Then there are strange visions that result from unwise exploration of Black Water Pool and Jinx's pond. Both are off-limits spots in the quarries that have been seriously and strangely affected by past magic. And Senior Prank Night escapades.

 

When magically altered water seems to open a doorway to view the past, Lanie and her brothers take  advantage of a chance to figure out what happened to their parents in Bermuda, going on two years ago. The question is if they're preparing to rescue their parents -- or if they are the cause of the mystery after all.

 You can get all the Neighborlee, Ohio books directly from Ye Olde Dragon Books, in paper, ebook, and audiobook.

www.YeOldeDragonBooks.com

Click on the storefront

SPECIAL!!!!!

Buy 2, get 1 FREE

(your choice of ebook or audiobook – we will contact you once the order processes. There are FOURTEEN Neighborlee books – so lots of chances to fill in your library and get 1 out of 3 FREE!)

 

 

Off the Bookshelf: DOING TIME, by Jodi Taylor

 

Time Police, Book 1

Narrated by Zara Ramm

Tie-in to the Chronicles of St. Mary's series

What fun!

If you've listened to the St. Mary's stories -- time-traveling archeologists/historians/misfits -- then you've heard mention of the Time Police. And what a pain in the neck and other portions of the anatomy they can be for our friends at St. Mary's.

Well, now we see things from their viewpoint -- and what a pain St. Mary's people can be to them.

The Time Police are there to prevent looting of historical treasures and willy-nilly changing of history for the sake of fun, profit, and maybe some revenge. They have a reputation for being a bunch of brutes, along the order of "Shoot first, apologize to widows and orphans later."

They have a commander who is trying to change all that, with a lot of resistance from the Nazi-mindset types.

But more important, this book is the story of the members of Team Weird, as they're called -- three misfits who have just finished training and are getting hands-on work, meaning the stupidest assignments. Of course, they trip over strange situations, and scary ones, and face ridicule, abuse distrust, and being manipulated for reasons they don't understand until the dust settles.

Great fun! Be ready to snicker quite a bit. Like when Jane confuses kangaroos with large rabbits, or she and Luke are forced to make Roman costumes out of bedsheets.

EXPLORE NEIGHBORLEE, OHIO -- Humorous contemporary urban fantasy

 

Neighborlee, Ohio Book 8

Shrunk: The Exile of Maurice

 

Maurice used his Fae magic to help the downtrodden and abused. But when he went too far, the Powers-That-Be decided he needed to learn humility, self-restraint, and mercy. They took away most of his magic, shrunk him down to five inches, and slapped wings on his back that no self-respecting Fae would be caught dead in. Then they exiled him to the Human realms, to work out his sentence helping Humans. 

 

His destination: Divine's Emporium, a curiosity shop touched with magic, on the edge of the odd town of Neighborlee, Ohio. 

 

His parole officer: Angela, the proprietress of Divine's Emporium, touched with magic and a shadowy past of her own. 

 

His sentence: Help the Humans who come into Divine's to find answers, freedom, their own magic, and true love. Not necessarily in that order. 

 

His problem: How does a five-inch-tall Fae, invisible to most Humans, win the heart of the ugly duckling who has caught his interest, his sympathy, and then his heart -- when she can't see or hear him?

 

You can get all the Neighborlee, Ohio books directly from Ye Olde Dragon Books, in paper, ebook, and audiobook.

www.YeOldeDragonBooks.com

Click on the storefront

SPECIAL!!!!!

Buy 2, get 1 FREE

(your choice of ebook or audiobook – we will contact you once the order processes. There are FOURTEEN Neighborlee books – so lots of chances to fill in your library and get 1 out of 3 FREE!)

 

Ye Olde Dragon's Library: Episode 13

 In this week's episode, Ash has traded one problem for another. She escaped Morris the vampire, but discovered that Fang the bunny has been partially turned into a vampire. He won't burst into flame in the daylight, but he does have a tendency to get rather smoky. Or if he's wet, steamy.

On top of having to complete the bothersome quest for Justiciar Camwell and satisfy his taste for exploration, now Ash and the ring need to find enough strong magic gathered in one place to find a cure for Fang.

Do you think they'll find that cure? Either in upcoming episodes, or even in this particular book?

If you've read any of the 'Na stories (Daughter of the Beastly Beauty, Tower to Tower, and Patches) you might just know the answer to that ...

If you haven't read any of the stories, you really do need to start with Daughter of the Beastly Beauty -- and here's your chance.

If you're a member of the Ye Olde Dragon's Library Patreon group, you can request your own ebook copy of Daughter of the Beastly Beauty. It's the first freebie offered to my patrons.

And a fourth story will be added to the collection May 1, with the release of Perchance to Dream, Fairytale Anthology #3. The fairytale we're turning on its ear this time is Sleeping Beauty, and 'Na's new story is called Box of Beauty. 

(At least, that's the title right now as I post this blog when I uploaded Episode 13 ... it might still change before publication ....)

https://yeoldedragonbooks.com/ye-olde-dragons-library-storytelling-podcast/

  

Want to support the podcast?

Find us on Patreon: Ye Olde Dragon's Library

patreon.com/user?u=26078473

 

EXPLORE NEIGHBORLEE, OHIO -- Humorous contemporary urban fantasy

Neighborlee, Ohio Book 7

Bride of the Living Proof

 

Engagements have become a contagious disease in Neighborlee!

 

In between helping friends plan their weddings, Lanie deals with a dog (that is much more than a dog) that has moved in with her.

 

Then there's an unwanted match from a dating service that might be planted by enemies of the guardians.

 

While the guardians slowly make contact with possible allies, they sift through warehouses full of information about their enemies, the Rivals, and discover a new problem: Daniel, Lanie's new boss, might be an enemy spy …

 

You can get all the Neighborlee, Ohio books directly from Ye Olde Dragon Books, in paper, ebook, and audiobook.

www.YeOldeDragonBooks.com

Click on the storefront

SPECIAL!!!!!

Buy 2, get 1 FREE

(your choice of ebook or audiobook – we will contact you once the order processes. There are FOURTEEN Neighborlee books – so lots of chances to fill in your library and get 1 out of 3 FREE!)

 

 

Off the Bookshelf: CALLING, by Molly Harper

 

Sorcery and Society, Book 3

Amanda Ronconi, narrator 

The third, and seemingly final book in the YA fantasy/alternate history series with a dash of steampunk.

Sarah and her friends come up against a lot of discouragement and disappointment and near-misses, as they come closer to either changing their world or watching it be destroyed by the evil Miss Morton's nasty revenge plot.

And oh, yeah, zombies show up. Again. Several times.

Fun, with a snarky undertone. (And just how does the narrator hold onto that English accent, with all its variations and keep all the different character voices straight? I have a hard enough time holding onto one or two recurring characters' voices when I narrate! Kudos to her.)

Sarah needs to recreate the Mother Book, which Miss Morton destroyed at the end of the previous book. She needs to get some control over all the Changeling children she and her friends rescued. They need to learn to combine their magic, and find a mysterious, barely mentioned, probably nothing more than legend magical instrument to stop the zombies next time they attack. She especially needs to keep from destroying Mrs. Winter's country home -- starting with getting the jam off the ceiling. And oh, yeah, a reunion with Gavin would be nice.

Do Sarah and her friends prevail? Listen and find out. And schedule large blocks of time, because you really don't want to have to keep stopping and starting again, when life gets in the way.

EXPLORE NEIGHBORLEE, OHIO -- Humorous contemporary urban fantasy

Neighborlee, Ohio Book 6

Quitting the Hero Biz

Jane Wilson disappeared when she was a child. When she learned to make herself invisible, her teachers made her disappear from Neighborlee Children's Home. And just in time, too -- before some nasty folks known only as the Rivals tried to take her away, to turn her into a weapon.

 

Years later, she used her semi-pseudo-superhero powers to become the Ghost, defender of the little town of Fendersburg. The plan was to attract the attention of the Rivals, and lure them into a trap. Unfortunately, the people of Fendersburg got lazy, and soon grew so dependent on the Ghost to fix all their problems, they stopped thinking for themselves.

 

So Jane quit being the Ghost. In the wake of the odd events during the holidays in Neighborlee, she returned to her roots. Her mission:

Find out what happened to all the Lost Kids who lived in Neighborlee Children's Home.

Find out what the Rivals are looking for in Neighborlee.

Find the guardians.

 

You can get all the Neighborlee, Ohio books directly from Ye Olde Dragon Books, in paper, ebook, and audiobook.

www.YeOldeDragonBooks.com

Click on the storefront

SPECIAL!!!!!

Buy 2, get 1 FREE

(your choice of ebook or audiobook – we will contact you once the order processes. There are FOURTEEN Neighborlee books – so lots of chances to fill in your library and get 1 out of 3 FREE!)

 

 

Ye Olde Dragon's Library: Episode 12

 

Are you a member of my patreon group?

This is important, because the first goodie is available after anyone has been a member at least 2 months.

If you've read my 'Na, Ambrose and Fang the bunny stories in the Ye Olde Dragon Books anthologies, then you've probably been wondering just how Fang the bunny became partially changed into a vampire.

THIS is the episode, in Fang's adventures with Ash, where you find out just how -- and why only partially.

If you haven't read the 'Na stories ... here's your chance to get the first adventure. As an added bonus -- at least, I think it's a bonus -- this story, Daughter of the Beastly Beauty, was a finalist in the short story category of the Realm Awards in 2022!

All members of the Ye Olde Dragon's Library Patreon group can request the ebook of Daughter of the Beastly Beauty, and it will be sent to you via Book Funnel.

If you're not a member yet, you can join, then send me a not that you want the story, and after the 2nd months of membership, I'll send it to you.

And keep your eyes open, because more 'Na stories have been written and will be written. Coming up is the latest 'Na adventure in the Perchance to Dream anthology, with stories based on Sleeping Beauty. 'Na's story is called Box of Beauty -- or Beauty in a Box. I haven't decided yet at the time of this posting. Perchance to Dream comes out May 1 from Ye Olde Dragon Books. Watch for it. It's gonna be jam-packed with fun, thought-provoking, shivery, silly stories. Promise!

    https://yeoldedragonbooks.com/ye-olde-dragons-library-storytelling-podcast/

 

 

Want to support the podcast?

Find us on Patreon: Ye Olde Dragon's Library

patreon.com/user?u=26078473

EXPLORE NEIGHBORLEE, OHIO -- Humorous contemporary urban fantasy

Neighborlee, Ohio Book 5

Night of the Living Proof

 

The shadows from Lanie's past continue to haunt her and her friends as Neighborlee moves from Christmas to New Year's Eve. Something or someone is tampering with the magical defenses of the town. Things and people disappear and reappear, with no explanation, and gaps in memories and time. An age-old nemesis is gathering its strength for another attempt to shatter the door that Divine's Emporium holds shut.

 

Sylvia Grandstone returns, and she's got her sights set on Daniel, Lanie's new boss. It's the same old Grandstone scheme to gain power and wealth by any means possible, including marriage. It would be easy to blame Sylvia for the new problems and mysteries, applying the Jessica Fletcher theory of crime-solving: the most famous guest artist is the murderer. However, Sylvia's years in Hollywood never got her anywhere near star status, and no one would ever believe she could be a criminal mastermind. Or so the guardians would like to believe.

 

As New Year's Eve approaches at Eden, the Neighborlee community center, the disappearances and time gaps increase. Instead of trying to convince town officials to cancel the New Year's Eve party, the guardians prepare for a showdown, and brace themselves to do what they have always done: defend the people of Neighborlee from the outside world, and defend the outside world from the magic and wonder and general weirdness that is Neighborlee, Ohio.

 

 You can get all the Neighborlee, Ohio books directly from Ye Olde Dragon Books, in paper, ebook, and audiobook.

www.YeOldeDragonBooks.com

Click on the storefront

SPECIAL!!!!!

Buy 2, get 1 FREE

(your choice of ebook or audiobook – we will contact you once the order processes. There are FOURTEEN Neighborlee books – so lots of chances to fill in your library and get 1 out of 3 FREE!)

 

Off the Bookshelf: ENCORE IN DEATH, by JD Robb

 

Guilty pleasure time.

I finished a few projects, so when the library notified me the book was in, I ran out to get it and dove in -- and stayed up reading very late/early in the morning several nights in a row.

Eliza Lane, actress adored by thousands, wealthy and talented, has come full circle. She is about to launch a revival of the play that made her famous 25 years before. Of course, that much success comes with enemies and people who blame her for their misfortunes. So there are quite a few suspects when her husband dies, poisoned by a drink meant for her.

Such a high profile death brings in Eve Dallas and her team, and they start digging into Eliza's past. Even with a suspect in custody, Dallas isn't satisfied. Something doesn't feel right. She knows she has to go back 25 years to that play where Eliza was the understudy and stepped into the role that made her career when another actress died tragically. Who was there, what did they know, and who had a score to settle with Eliza after all these years?

EXPLORE NEIGHBORLEE, OHIO -- Humorous contemporary urban fantasy

Neighborlee, Ohio Book 4

Living Proof (That No Good Deed Goes Unpunished)

 

Lanie saved her student's life on Senior Prank Night, but broke her back and blunted some of her semi-pseudo-superhero powers.

Now it's four years later, and Lanie's orderly life is starting to fall apart.

Her brothers are living with her while their parents are out of the country on another book research trip.

Not so bad, but their parents have missed two check-in phone calls already.

The newspaper where Lanie works has been taken over by a conglomerate she now refers to as the Evil Empire -- and she loses her beloved school sports beat, to write the (gag) lovelorn column.

Then Col. Hayward shows up to say their parents have vanished ... near the Bermuda Triangle.

A series of increasingly nasty pranks lead her to believe someone is out to get her.

But worst of all, Christmas is only a few weeks away and she hasn't started her Christmas shopping or her holiday baking spree.

 

It's enough to make a semi-pseudo-superhero hang up her cape!

Oh, yeah, she never had one to begin with ...

 

 You can get all the Neighborlee, Ohio books directly from Ye Olde Dragon Books, in paper, ebook, and audiobook.

www.YeOldeDragonBooks.com

Click on the storefront

SPECIAL!!!!!

Buy 2, get 1 FREE

(your choice of ebook or audiobook – we will contact you once the order processes. There are FOURTEEN Neighborlee books – so lots of chances to fill in your library and get 1 out of 3 FREE!)

 

Ye Olde Dragon's Library: Episode 11

 

Feedback?

Where are you listening to the podcast?

On the Ye Olde Dragon Books website, or through a dedicated postcast app?

How did you hear about the podcast?

The first person who responds in these comments will get a free ebook download of the story that actually launched this whole strange, fun storyline: DAUGHTER OF THE BEASTLY BEAUTY, which I wrote for the first Fairytale Anthology from Ye Olde Dragon Books. In each succeeding anthology, I've been relating the adventures of Belladonna, known as 'Na, daughter of the lord and lady of the enchanted castle. With LIARS' QUEST, I've started relating the adventures of 'Na's parents, how they got to the castle and tamed it. (That's just the simple explanation ...)

Every few months, I'll be releasing each of 'Na's stories as an individual ebook short story, and members of the Patreon group for Ye Olde Dragon's Library will have a chance to get those short stories for free, a month before they're available for sale online.

Question for today's podcast: Do YOU trust Morris the vampire to keep his word and get Ash, Fang, and the ring out of the caverns ... alive?

Answer in the chat -- and let's chat!!!

https://yeoldedragonbooks.com/ye-olde-dragons-library-storytelling-podcast/

 

 

Want to support the podcast?

Find us on Patreon: Ye Olde Dragon's Library

patreon.com/user?u=26078473

 

EXPLORE NEIGHBORLEE, OHIO -- Humorous contemporary urban fantasy

Neighborlee, Ohio Book 3

Virtually London

Athena Longfellow and Doni Halliday are granddaughters of one of Neighborlee’s guardians, Ford Longfellow. When danger threatens Neighborlee, the girls awaken to their duties and their gifts, and slowly grow into their heritage.

 

Athena, the computer whiz, finds and experiments with an unusual video camera at Divine’s Emporium. She records Doni, and then records a room at the shop -- and inadvertently opens a door to another dimension. Properly frightened, she shuts down the program behind firewalls. Enemy invasion thwarted. For now.

 

She doesn't realize she also created a virtual copy of Doni, until an advanced computer class in college, when the artificial intelligence that calls herself London Holiday "moves into" her team's class project.

 

Athena suddenly has a good idea how Dr. Frankenstein felt. The question is: If she has to pull the plug on London Holiday … how?

 

 You can get all the Neighborlee, Ohio books directly from Ye Olde Dragon Books, in paper, ebook, and audiobook.

www.YeOldeDragonBooks.com

Click on the storefront

SPECIAL!!!!!

Buy 2, get 1 FREE

(your choice of ebook or audiobook – we will contact you once the order processes. There are FOURTEEN Neighborlee books – so lots of chances to fill in your library and get 1 out of 3 FREE!)

 

Off the Bookshelf: 21 COURAGEOUS PRAYERS, by Gary Rohrmayer

 

Confession time: I'm lousy when it comes to praying. Bible study, no problem. Reading commentaries and joining spiritual discussions. No problem.

Having a conversation with God that goes beyond "gimme"? Yeah, problem.

Sometimes my day starts off with, "God, make me a blessing to someone. Make me productive. Help me honor You." Or sometimes more along the lines of, "Please don't let me embarrass You." If I'm on top of things and really getting off to a good start. And my evening prayers are often along the lines of, "Thanks for today, Lord. Thanks for all the things I got done. Thanks for keeping us safe. Thanks for helping (whoever). Please heal (whoever)." Yeah, kind of repetitive, and not very mature.

And not really conversations that prompt spiritual growth, and grow a solid foundation so I can actually be useful for the Kingdom. Know what I mean? Because there's always so much to do every day, I dive in, and don't pray much until I'm ready to end the day. Not good.

My pastor recently preached a series of sermons based on this book, and recommended that the congregation read this book to prepare for the lessons and prompt thinking and discussion and growth.

The topics of the 21 prayers are taken from Psalms, and focus on revealing more about God's character and how to relate to Him, how to look at Him, grow closer to Him. This is something I'm going to have to re-read multiple times until it starts to sink in and I apply it. Kind of ironic -- I need to pray about this to see any kind of change.

EXPLORE NEIGHBORLEE, OHIO -- Humorous contemporary urban fantasy

Neighborlee, Ohio Book 2

Semi-Pseudo-Superheroes

High school is rough enough, but the town of Neighborlee, Ohio, has traditions that make it even harder -- culminating in Senior Prank Night, when some seniors try to ensure they never walk through graduation. Lanie and her friends even have to cut short their own Senior Prank Nights to protect their classmates. It's rough being a semi-pseudo-superhero, especially when you don't even get a costume or a cool name.

 

Lanie and her friends grow into their duties as guardians. The threats to Neighborlee grow darker as enemies gather from many different directions. Other worlds. Other dimensions. Possibly even the Lost Kids who were stolen years ago.  The guardians do whatever it takes to protect their home.

 

And sometimes the guardians pay the ultimate price.

You can get all the Neighborlee, Ohio books directly from Ye Olde Dragon Books, in paper, ebook, and audiobook.

www.YeOldeDragonBooks.com

Click on the storefront

SPECIAL!!!!!

Buy 2, get 1 FREE

(your choice of ebook or audiobook – we will contact you once the order processes. There are FOURTEEN Neighborlee books – so lots of chances to fill in your library and get 1 out of 3 FREE!)

 

Ye Olde Dragon's Library: Episode 10

Well, this time Ash and Fang are in an even bigger spot of trouble than just being chased by a cranky old miser and his guard dogs.

Did you have some fun with the discussion of what was true vampire lore and what was just nonsense and utterly useless? Funny thing is, a lot of what we nowadays consider vampire lore was made up by Hollywood ...

How do you think Ash is going to get out of this mess? She can't escape the way she got in, because soldiers are waiting.

What do you think she'll find, going forward?

Are you expecting her to meet up with a few vampires during her journey underground?

What would you think about having vampires, maybe these specific vampires, show up in later stories, as she makes her way to the enchanted castle and the enchanted forest, and finds out the truth about her magical heritage? Would you be interested in maybe some stories about the vampires in these specific caverns? Maybe what happens to them right after Ash leaves them behind? If she manages to leave them behind. For all you know, she might find out she's had a vampire or two on her tail from the moment she steps out into the sunshine ... because you never know, with vampires.

Let's talk about it!
 

https://yeoldedragonbooks.com/ye-olde-dragons-library-storytelling-podcast/

  

Want to support the podcast?

Find us on Patreon: Ye Olde Dragon's Library

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EXPLORE NEIGHBORLEE, OHIO -- Humorous contemporary urban fantasy

 

Neighborlee, Ohio Book 1

Confessions of a Lost Kid

Lost Kids: toddlers found on the outskirts of town. When no one claims them, they grow up at the Neighborlee Children's Home. Some are adopted, some develop superpowers, and some vanish without explanation.

 

Lanie is a Lost Kid. She teams up with Kurt and Felicity, two other Lost Kids, to figure out what they are, and why they are. Mutants? Escaped genetic experiments? Alien visitors?  And if so, just how do they phone home?

 

As Lanie and her friends learn what they can do, and develop rules for their superpowers from reading comic books, they join the other guardians of Neighborlee. Sometimes they protect the magic, the weird and wonderful of Neighborlee from the world -- and sometimes they have to protect the world from the mysteries and dangers of Neighborlee.

You can get all the Neighborlee, Ohio books directly from Ye Olde Dragon Books, in paper, ebook, and audiobook.

www.YeOldeDragonBooks.com

Click on the storefront

SPECIAL!!!!!

Buy 2, get 1 FREE

(your choice of ebook or audiobook – we will contact you once the order processes. There are FOURTEEN Neighborlee books – so lots of chances to fill in your library and get 1 out of 3 FREE!)

Off the Bookshelf: RECKLESS MAGIC, by Rachel Higginson

 

Audiobook, Audible

Narrated by Bailey Carr

This is the start of the Starcrossed Series, labeled by a reviewer as "Twilight meets Harry Potter." I can't say if this is true because I never read Twilight. Sorry, vampires turn me off.

The magic school part is very true, with all the rivalry and bullying and infighting and one-upmanship, and enough angst and stupid hormonal misery to make any sane person want to lock up adolescents until they regain their sanity. If they ever had it.

Our heroine, Eden, has magic and doesn't realize it until she is slapped in the face with it. She just knows she has problems, "electricity" that builds up in her until she loses control. She has had incidents where she caused some minor catastrophes, that got her kicked out of several schools. Kingsley, a private school that appears to be for snotty rich brats, is her last chance. Weird things happen from her first day of classes, but she is too busy with her own problems to realize until she is caught in an assassination attempt on one of her classmates, and her magic bursts forth in undeniable ways. Unfortunately, saving the life of the prince of her race (which she didn't know she belonged to) doesn't seem to cut her any slack.

Will Eden bring peace among the various magical classes and slap some sense into the crown prince and the royal family, and gain her happily ever after? Guess you'll have to work through to the end of this really looooong story to find out.