Ye Olde Dragon's Library: Episode 18

 

Ash and Fang and the ring are on the road again. They have a lot to think about, and a lot of questions that will remain unanswered until Ash completes the quest and she finds out just how far Justiciar Camwell will go to rewrite the terms of the quest and keep her traveling, satisfying his curiosity.

There's a little problem with the maps Blaz gave her, to help her complete her quest faster: they aren't accurate. Or rather, they aren't up-to-date. So she has to risk going into a town to ask questions and find out where exactly she is.

That might not be a good choice ...

*********

We're nearing the end of LIARS' QUEST, the first book in what is tentatively being called the Enchanted Castle Archives.

I hope those of you who have been listening have been enjoying the story. As I upload the podcast episodes, I'm slowly getting further ahead of schedule, and ensuring that if something happens to interfere, the podcast episodes will still be released and you loyal listeners won't be left with silence.

Today, about six weeks before episode 18 airs, I recorded a "look ahead" episode of Ye Olde Dragon's Library, talking about the next book I'll be reading to you, and listing a few changes taking place.

The biggest change is the length of the episodes -- and how many you'll get every week. Instead of one episode between 25 and 30 minutes, I'm planning to upload at least two episodes, of about 20 minutes each. So more story time.

PLUS: I'll be interviewing fellow fantasy and science fiction writers about their newest projects, and posting approximately every other week, so you can hear about other stories that might interest you.

We'll be starting with authors who participate in the 2 yearly anthologies produced by Ye Olde Dragon Books: the fairytale anthology in the spring and the classic monsters anthology in the fall. 

The "look ahead" episode will run May 28. Episode 2-A.

The next story, titled PLANTWISE, will begin on May 30.

So in four weeks ... it's all gonna change!

And if you're a member of the Ye Olde Dragon's Library Patreon group, you'll be helping with the change, because with your member donations, I can increase my hours with the podcast hosting site I use, meaning more episodes loaded every month, and more listening fun for you! So ... consider helping out? 

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

Sample: Tabor Heights Short Story, IN THE AIR, ON THE AIR

 

He didn't give the gravel-voiced man a chance to protest but cut the connection and linked in line two. "You're on the air on WEGL, the Eagle, and you're talking to Whit. What words of wisdom can you offer on the whole conundrum of dating for Christians?"

"Yeah, it's a pain, but you wouldn't sign a contract without reading it, would you? Same thing with getting married. You gotta figure out if the person who makes your heart go thumpetty is the one who's going to be there for the long haul, know what I mean?" The second caller was also a man. His voice sounded thick with sleep. Whit wondered if he was getting up or heading for bed.

"Very astute point. But can't you learn about someone in group situations? Group activities, Sunday school class socials, for instance?"

"Yeah, but after a while, you hang out together long enough, people are going to wonder if there's something serious going on. Know what I mean?" He laughed. "I know the other guy who just called in. His problem is, when he can find a girl desperate enough to go out with him, her parents can't stand him. If he can't get the parents to like him, what makes him think anybody'd be stupid enough to sell their daughter to him?"

"Sorry to be a kill-joy, folks, but we're talking about dating versus non-dating, not slavery or forced marriages." Riley tried to laugh as he said it, but the knot growing in his throat made that hard. What had he been thinking, bringing up the whole hot potato topic? "Let's give caller three a chance. Thanks for sharing with us." A few quick flips of buttons and tapping keys, and he had that second troublesome caller off and line three ready to go.

Please, Lord, let the third time be the charm!

Off the Bookshelf: GOING ROGUE, by Janet Evanovich

 

Stephanie Plum is back, and things are even more grim than they've been getting.

Connie, office manager for the bail bonds office where Stephanie works, has vanished. Soon, Stephanie and Lula learn Connie has been kidnapped.

These guys have got to be hard core, desperate, and nastily stupid, to dare to kidnap Connie. And they don't know what they've taken on, when they get Stephanie angry with them and determined to get Connie back unharmed. Without telling the police (via Joe Morelli) what's going on. Because then things could get ... tricky.

The kidnappers want something that they think Vinnie, the bail bonds office owner, was given. Stephanie and Lula go on a wild goose chase, meeting more bizarre characters in Trenton, as they follow the trail of the maguffin ... and realize someone was lying to them.

You don't want to get Stephanie Plum angry with you, because she's finally willing to not just pick up a gun, but learn to shoot it.

Fun! The bizarreness that is normal life for Stephanie Plum just keeps coming.

Sample: Tabor Heights Short Story, IN THE AIR, ON THE AIR

 

Riley was still chuckling when the second song ended and he opened up the mic. His throat actually hurt as he mentally slipped into the British accent he had learned at his grandmother's knee. Jon Whitcomb-Riley once again submerged into the on-air personality of Whit, forsaking the painstaking efforts to shed his accent in favor of the flattened Midwestern semi-drawl of his mother's Illinois ancestors. He reached up to the shelves next to his chair at the console and pulled out his oversized cap and sunglasses, part of his costume when he did remote broadcasts as Whit. Props always helped him remember who he was supposed to be at that moment.

"All right, ladies and gents, we are back. It's that time of the week. No, not time for the weekly bath, although anyone who feels the need to indulge, please, do so. No, indeed, it is time to open up the phone lines and let the ten of you who are still awake at this -- goodness, nearly 1 a.m. -- awake at this time of the night, to chime in and let your feelings be heard. Right now, I'm reading a splendid book about dating." He pressed the first cued sound effects button and had to bite his lip to avoid a burst of laughter when the shrill shriek made Byron jump. 

"No, let me reassure you, I am not heading into the matrimony marketplace. Was that a sigh of disappointment I heard filtering through the night air? I'm flattered. But not to fret, I'm simply satisfying my curiosity. Why do we date? And more importantly, why put ourselves through the uncertainty and torment? This book discusses the idea of letting go of the hunt, stopping the search, and waiting on God to bring the right person into your life. When you sit still and you stop crying out to God to bring Mr. Right or Ms. Perfect to you, there's a chance you'll actually hear God trying to tell you His will for your life. And you might just realize your soul-mate, your God-designed partner for life, has been there all along, just waiting for you to slow down and listen."

Ye Olde Dragon's Library: Episode 17

King Ruprick's bully-boys show up to steal more of Cecil's magic books, and Fang intervenes. The village hasn't known about the half-vampire bunny until that moment. Now Ash really does need to leave, before the gossip inflames panic and makes her and Fang the victims of a monster hunt.

 Did you like the fight scene?

I had fun writing it. Kind of like those Bugs Bunny battles, where there's nothing but dust and banging noises and yelps.

Got a question for you, lovely listeners: We're coming up on the end of LIARS' QUEST. Not to give too much away, but Ash and Fang find a sanctuary of sorts, and a promise of training and help.

Is it okay to stop there, and resume the adventure in the next book, or do you want me to go on for a few more chapters (they're already written) where she has a little bit of training and goes through her final cavern ... and finds out what happens when the quest is fulfilled.

Tell you now, at the end of LIARS' QUEST, or wait until the next book, so it leads into a new adventure -- and (not to give anything away) a new quest that is a whole lot more personal and desperate for her and Fang and the ring.

Speak up, please!

And if you're not a member of my newsletter group, now might be a good time to sign up -- just click on one of the Free Book offers at the top of the page to sign up. Because I'm going to start giving away codes for free downloads of audio books, as well as a nice big prize that has to do with FINALLY getting all the Neighborlee, Ohio books uploaded as audiobooks ... Just saying ...

ALSO ... please consider joining my Patreon group for Ye Olde Dragon's Library, and help pay some of the expenses for uploading and distributing the podcast. I have a budgeted plan that allows me to upload 3 hours of audio content every month. If I could expand to a larger plan, with more hours, I could upload more episodes each month. Maybe 2 or even 3 a week ....

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

Ready to Return to Tabor Heights?

 

For a while now, the Tabor Heights and Quarry Hall stories have been unavailable on the Mt. Zion Ridge site and Amazon, and recently taken down from all the other ebook vendor sites. Ever since Desert Breeze Publishing closed their doors, the two sister series have only been available in ebook.

THAT WILL SOON BE OVER!

May 15, Mt. Zion Ridge Press will begin re-releasing the Tabor Heights and Quarry Hall series with NEW COVER ART, and in PRINT, ebook and AUDIOBOOK.

Sign up for my newsletter by picking a free short story (look up at the top of this page) from the Tabor Heights series (or the AFV Defender series, if you prefer SF over Inspirational Romance ...)

Interested?

Keep watch for samples of some of the short stories available, and on May 15, you can read some samples from the first book to be re-released, THE SECOND TIME AROUND.

Right now the schedule is loosely planned for every other month, in the middle of the month, to keep from being confused with the original releases of books published by Mt. Zion Ridge Press.

EXPLORE NEIGHBORLEE, OHIO -- Humorous contemporary urban fantasy

 

Interactive Story

Explore Divine's Emporium on your own!

Welcome to Neighborlee, Ohio.

 

Where? Somewhere on the North Coast of Ohio, south of Cleveland, right off I-71, north of Medina, in the heart of Cuyahoga County.

 

What is it? That’s a little harder to explain.

 

Neighborlee is a place you need to experience.

 

The most important thing you need to understand: Neighborlee is magic. Some people say the town is alive. It exists to protect the weird and wonderful (and sometimes a little bit scary) from the cold, practical, material world.

 

More important, Neighborlee protects the outside world from the weird and wonderful that come to visit … and sometimes come to stay.

 

First stop: Divine’s Emporium, a four-story Victorian house sitting on a hill overlooking the Metroparks. Whatever you really need, you can find at Divine’s. Even if you don’t know what you’re looking for when you walk in the door. The shop is often bigger inside than it is outside. Angela is the proprietor. Please stay on the first floor. You don’t want to find out what is hidden and locked safely away upstairs. Like Aslan, Angela is good, but that doesn’t mean she’s safe. And neither are the secrets and wonders and doorways to other worlds that she protects … and keeps securely locked.

 

Come in and explore. Meet the people who help Angela guard Neighborlee. Share their adventures of magic and wonder, danger and sacrifice. You never know who or what you’ll run into as you walk the streets and listen to the stories of their lives.

 

This is an INTERACTIVE STORY -- Meaning YOU, the READER, get to make choices as you go through the story and explore Divine's Emporium.

 

Choose wisely.

 

Come in and have fun!

 

 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 16

 

Bad enough knowing that Justiciar Camwell is going to send someone to put Ash back on the road to fulfilling her quest -- now that selfish bully of a king, Ruprick, has sent soldiers to once again steal Cecil's books.

What can Ash do to protect her teacher's books, and the books of the rest of the villagers? Can she do anything?

Hint: You don't want to rile a half-vampire, somewhat demented bunny at sunset, when he's still got a touch of sunburn ....

What do you think will happen, now that the soldiers have entered the village? Will the precautions Cecil and Ash have taken be enough?

Please, I would really appreciate feedback. Let me know what you like about this story, where you think it might be going -- where you would like it to go, and even where you hope it WON'T go!

Suggestions? New storylines you would like me to follow, with characters you've met so far? For instance, even though I really don't "get" vampires ... it might be fun exploring what life is like for the Nightborn and the community living in the caverns with Morris. Are they all like him, or do they have a more pragmatic or even bloodthirsty view of life? And what about the magistrate and soldiers in the village that sent Ash into the caverns? What about the Warrior Maidens that Lady Leena serves with?

And what do you think has been happening to that spoiled snot, Lathia, all this time?

Semi-spoiler: You might get an update on her activities, or lack thereof, in the next episode.

But let's TALK, okay?

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 13

The Living Proof Gets the Blues

 

The guardians face their greatest dilemma, when a New Age cult threatens to drive the Grandstones out of Neighborlee -- and take their place. Better the devil they know than the one they don't?

 

Saving Neighborlee Children's Home from foreclosure, and stopping an invasion from otherworldly forces could all depend on Pastor Rocky "getting the band back together." Problem: everyone else died in a fiery crash.

 

Or did they?

 

Multiple enemy forces unite to attack the town of Neighborlee, attempting to turn Pastor Rocky into their newest weapon.

 

Big mistake.

 

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: WYRDE AND WAYWARD, by Charlotte E. English

 

A House of Werth Novel

Fun, clever, historical fantasy. Odd magical gifts are accepted -- somewhat -- and in some noble English families, expected. These gifts are known as the Wyrde.

And yeah, some of them just don't make sense, and are weird -- Wyrde.

The House of Werth has a tradition of a child's Wyrde showing up on the third birthday, to the exact minute. The story starts with the family rushing to assemble and witness a three-year-old girl's Wyrde appearing. Despite the mother's insistence she's going to be a mermaid .... the little girl ends up a gorgon, complete with little snakes replacing her golden curls. And the family just sighs and shrugs and gets on with life.

Except for Augusta, known as Gussie, whom we find out quickly does not have a Wyrde. She's ordinary, no gift, no magic. Except for her curiosity and her sharp wit, and her commonsense response to truly trying and rude things happening to her. Like being kidnapped multiple times within just a few days. And a magic book with a temper that tries to bite people and wrap kraken-like tentacles around them, and her cousin's hankering for fresh blood and a great-aunt who haunts the mansion as just a bloody head. 

That's life as normal in the House of Werth.

Definitely gonna look for more books in this series. I like Gussie. One tough chick who doesn't let societal restrictions and her relatives' inability to tell her the truth about herself get in her way.

EXPLORE NEIGHBORLEE, OHIO -- Humorous contemporary urban fantasy

 

Neighborlee, Ohio Book 12

Angela's Knight

 

Equinox: Maurice has a day of full-size freedom to spend with his true love, Holly. Their day of fun ends in panic, when Angela is attacked and the defenses of Divine's Emporium are breached. In the search to find out who hired thieves to steal books full of inimical magic from the shop and provided them with magic charms to do it, Angela's memories are stirred. Strange dreams disturb her sleep and she asks questions she hasn't thought of in decades.

 

Ethan Jarrod, a particularly gifted P.I. with some mysteries of his own, joins forces with local P.I. John Stanzer to identify Angela's enemies. Is Jarrod the knight from her dreams, or the final weapon of her enemies, to destroy all the magic of Divine's Emporium and Angela herself?

 

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 15

 

The episode ends with Cecil announcing he has received a vision for Ash.

What do you think she will be warned about? Something to do? Something to not do? Maybe she's supposed to add another task to her quest? Maybe an answer to the questions she's had about how to cure Fang from being partially turned into a vampire?

Let's chat. 

What do you think should happen in the next episode? What do you NOT want to have happen in the next episode?

Remember: any suggestions you make that I use in final edits, or any changes I make because of questions and ideas you have, you'll get your name listed on the acknowledgments page when the book is published.

Take a chance, and let's talk. Come on, it'll be fun!

 

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 11

Dawn of the Living Proof

 

Just when the guardians of Neighborlee believe they can relax and enjoy the results of their labors, a new enemy makes a strike, aiming at some newcomers who have come to town seeking shelter. Is this another, roundabout attempt to break down the defensive shield around the town, or a more sinister plot?

 

Are the attacks aimed ultimately at Angela?

 

Clues indicate this isn't a new enemy at all, but an old enemy making another attempt to get a foothold in Neighborlee and perhaps steal not just magic, but break open the gates that Divine's Emporium and Angela keep securely closed.

 

What type of magic is this that seems to be active only at night, and disintegrates with the coming of dawn?

 

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: THE WEIRDIES, by Michael Buckley

 Narrated by Kate Winslet   

The Weirdies, Book 1

Yeah ... weird. Kind of like the Addams Family on steroids and some other substances.

A set of bizarre triplets, children of even more bizarre parents who either can't remember they have kids or are afraid to admit they have kids, are left behind when their parents and the entire oddball household goes on vacation, including all the furniture and food and other possessions. And then wreck the cruise ship and get eaten by sharks. And that's just the backstory!

The state steps in and uses extreme measures to get the kids out of the mansion so they can send them to an orphanage. The triplets, named Barnacle, Garlic and Melancholy, terrorize the other orphans and frustrate their overly optimistic case worker, who until they showed up had a perfect record of matching kids with new parents.

They think everyone else around them is weird. And then things get even weirder. In less than 2 hours.

My throat ached in sympathy for Miss Winslet, who gave different voices and accents for each individual character. Including a woman who had all her teeth pulled (don't ask! listen and find out)

Clever. Disturbing. Dryly witty. A commentary on modern society and what standards of "normal" we're willing to impose on others, and the misery we cause ourselves and others and just ... braintwisting.

EXPLORE NEIGHBORLEE, OHIO -- Humorous contemporary urban fantasy

Neighborlee, Ohio Book 10

Allergic to Mistletoe

 

Christmas in Neighborlee means magic. This year more than ever. The Fae have come to visit. And hide. And seek true love.

 

Lori is allergic to mistletoe, thanks to a traumatic encounter with Dickens. She comes to Neighborlee to hide from matchmaking relatives.

Bethany just wants a quiet Christmas with her dad, but her rising stardom is getting in the way. Her double magical heritage just complicates things.

Harry might be able to help her, thanks to a malfunctioning invisibility spell.

Wilfred and Philomena are best friends, have been for centuries, and want to be much more. Do they have the courage to admit it to each other?

Then there's Maurice. The terms of his exile interfere with his courtship of Holly, the librarian who can only see him in her dreams.

 

They all need a Christmas miracle.

 

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 14

 So, after listening to this new episode ... what do you think?

Did Ash make a mistake trusting Cecil? Is it possible for the spirit ring to be fooled, and advise her incorrectly?

Let's TALK about it!

And remember: members of the Ye Olde Dragon's Library Patreon group can request a free ebook of the story that "started it all" -- the short story Daughter of the Beastly Beauty, the first written adventure in the enchanted forest and enchanted castle.

 

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

 to listen to the new podcast right on our website.

Or find it on your favorite podcast app!

 

Want to support the podcast?

Find us on Patreon: Ye Olde Dragon's Library

patreon.com/user?u=26078473