NEIGHBORLEE VISITORS GUIDE: June featured book: QUITTING THE HERO BIZ

 

The featured Neighborlee series book for June is 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 listen to Chapter 1 of QUITTING THE HERO BIZ on the Ye Olde Dragon's Library storytelling podcast, either on the Ye Olde Dragon Books website or your favorite podcasting app. Check back here later in the month for the quiz about Chapter 1, and send in your answers to earn points toward free books in the Neighborlee series!

Want to get more tastes of the story? Check out the excerpts, twice a week, here on the blog.

Excerpt: NIGHT OF THE LIVING PROOF, Neighborlee, Ohio, Book 5

 

“I’m not evil. I swear.”

“Gotta admit, you’re okay. For a rich guy. Even human,” I added, when that pitiful, begging look came back to his face. “The sign-up is at Eden.”

“You are saving my life.”

“Mata Hari must be pretty bad, huh?”

“You know how in Buffy, the vampires are always so gorgeous and fun, then right before they sink their teeth into you, they turn really ugly? Lanie? Are you okay? You look like you’re going to be sick.”

“Close.” No way was I going to admit we had something else in common. With my luck, he’d invite himself to the annual Buffy marathon with Felicity, Mandy, and a few other girls from the ship. I made a mental note to tell them not to tell the Evil Overlord.

“Maybe you should go home. Can you work from home? Can I give you a ride?”

“Aren’t you supposed to butter me up before I give you what you want?” I should have called in sick.

“You are my best friend.”

“No, I’m your commodore who doesn’t want to lose my new communications officer by having you move to Singapore to get away from Mata Hari. How did you ever get linked up with her, that she thought you two were a couple?”

“It started when we were kids. Granddad rented a house here in town one summer.” He leaned back, frowning at me.

“What? What did I do?”

“You probably know her. I think she’s your age.”

“Oh … man …” I fought down another surge of nausea. “Sylvia Grandstone?” I tried to laugh when he nodded. Maybe I hadn’t been hallucinating, catching glimpses of Sylvia? “My condolences. I grew up with her. She did the town a big favor when she ran off to Hollywood and hasn’t looked back since.”

Excerpt: NIGHT OF THE LIVING PROOF, Neighborlee, Ohio, Book 5

“She was all sweet and forgiving and said she understood, and she would keep New Year’s free for us. I managed to sound halfway coherent and told her she was mistaken. I never called her, never emailed her, never made any plans for the holidays, and I already had plans for New Year’s.”

“Doing what?” I asked, feeling a little sorry for him. Now I suspected something of what he faced, the intimidation and the guilt factors being piled on him during that confrontation. All this despite my very sore brain refusing to accept the horrified conclusions trying to solidify out in the light of day.

“Exactly what she said. I told her it was business-related, so she’d be bored, and we were still making arrangements.”

“Wimp.”

That got a grin from him. I thought maybe I had done my good deed for the day, helping him fight through the terror trying to smother him. If my still-nebulous suspicions were right.

“Have mercy?”

“Do I get to dump the Terry column and take back my sports beat?” I burst out laughing at the look of utter panic on his face. “I guess that’s a no. You know something? You make a pretty pathetic Evil Overlord.”

“A what?”

“That’s what I called you when you swept into the office back in November and rearranged everything on us.” I had to explain, since I had let that slip. What was wrong with me? Besides the fact that I actually liked fraternizing with the enemy?

 

Excerpt: NIGHT OF THE LIVING PROOF, Neighborlee, Ohio, Book 5

 

“So your mother is trying to deflect things and having a hard time? Don’t suppose you’ve thought about living in a castle with a really deep moat, stocked with piranha?”

That got a sickly grin from him.

“The really sad and kind of ironic part is that until this mess started, Mom was starting to put the ‘when are you going to make me a grandmother?’ pressure on me.”

“So, what’s this mail order bride like?”

He glared at me. Then he must have seen the idiocy of the whole situation, because he kind of deflated and slumped more in his chair and grinned back at me.

“She showed up on Christmas Eve, at my folks’ place in Cincinnati, claiming she must have missed my last phone call to discuss our ‘itinerary,’” he said, making air quotes. “All apologetic about coming so late, since she was so sure I had something wonderful planned for us to do. I went into panic mode when Mom gave me this deer-in-the-headlights look. Especially since we had been talking about some hinted threats from the future in-laws, if their darling little girl’s feelings got hurt.” Daniel sighed and rubbed his face, then raked his fingers through his hair. “All I could come up with for an excuse was taking over the Tattler. Really busy, ignoring everything, keeping my schedule open for emergencies. It was kind of weird how she didn’t react when I said Tattler, because she’s from around here.”

I must have made a sound. Trying to hold back the need to heave. My inner alarm of impending doom was so loud I couldn’t think clearly for a moment or two. Daniel gave me that worried look, like maybe I had turned green again.

Excerpt: NIGHT OF THE LIVING PROOF, Neighborlee, Ohio, Book 5

“Just tell her you’re not free. You don’t have to give her an excuse.”

“My mother needs an excuse.”

“Your mother is playing matchmaker?”

“Never. She’s just having a hard time walking the line between convincing Mata’s parents that their daughter is delusional, no relationship exists between us, and starting a war in social media that will probably send the stock of our corporation into the basement. These people play hardball. They’ve got this attitude that they’re entitled to have anything they want. If that means marrying into the corporation, then their darling daughter and I don’t have any choice.”

A surge of nausea went through me so strongly, I had probably turned green for a few seconds, at least. The way he was talking about the bride-to-be’s family sounded like the Grandstone clan. Reggie had publicly embarrassed himself last spring, insisting he and Doni Halliday were sweethearts. Until it finally got through his egotistical rock skull that his elusive bride was less than half his age. It was the Grandstone tactic to marry into power and wealth if they couldn’t lie or sue or intimidate to get what they wanted.

“Are you okay?” Daniel asked.

Maybe I had turned green, and it wasn’t just my imagination?

I reflected back on the few times I had thought how he and Sylvia Grandstone were perfect for each other. Before I got to know him. Maybe I had imagined Sylvia around town the last few weeks because I was being so mean to Daniel? A guilty conscience making me hallucinate? I scrambled to get my brain back on track.

 

A New Season of Ye Olde Dragon's Library storytelling podcast starts tomorrow: ENCHANTING THE PRINCE, Enchanted Castle Archives, Book 3

 

Season 10 features chapters from ENCHANTING THE PRINCE, Book 3 of the Enchanted Castle Archives

Zair was thirteen when he was kidnapped and trained to be a Shadow -- to stand in for Crown Prince Anwir in dangerous situations. Magicians broke the rules of magic when they wove illusion spells around him, so he would walk and talk and sound and look like Anwir, The two boys were meant to be friends, companions, perhaps the only true friend either one would ever have.

Magic in the kingdom of Dorwain was broken, the old ways purged, forgotten, or warped. The magicians made mistakes. Some fatal. However, when they used the dust of a shattered magic mirror as the base of their spells, that proved to be Zair's only hope for survival and escape.

Despite the destruction of her physical body, Viza the magic mirror was alive in her dust. Zair could hear her, proving the strength of his sleeping, inborn magic. She became his friend and teacher. Together, they sought a way to escape. The magic awakening in Zair proved he had royal blood, with a claim to the throne. That made him a threat to the current king. He needed to break the growing web of spells that imprisoned him, and reclaim his own face before time ran out.

LISTEN TO THE EPISODES ON THE WEBSITE (YeOldeDragonBooks.com, and click on the Ye Olde Dragon's Library link) OR GO TO YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST APP.

If you would like your own ebook or audiobook copy of this book, go to YeOldeDragonBooks.com, and click on the storefront.

Want to support the podcast?

Find us on Patreon: Ye Olde Dragon's Library

 

Excerpt: NIGHT OF THE LIVING PROOF, Neighborlee, Ohio, Book 5

 “Umm, hate to tell you, but New Year’s Eve is only five days away. So where are you performing?”

“Eden.” It was no good keeping it a secret from him, since it was in yesterday’s newspaper. “It’s the annual overnight lock-in.”

“Lock-in? Like, no one gets out for the entire night? And no one gets in, once the doors are locked?”

The excitement in his voice made me suspicious. I was tempted to reach across the desk and grab his hand, to try to pick up any images in his mind for clues into his reasons and thoughts. However, no way did I want to hold hands with the ex-Evil Overlord. My only option was to ask or guess.

“What do you need an excuse not to do?”

“Not exactly do, but see.” Daniel shrugged and put his elbows on the desk and rested his chin in his hands. That made it hard for him to talk, but he managed. “How many times do you have to tell someone you don’t want to spend time with them before they stop insisting that you’re being silly and immature, and you were meant for each other?”

“Sounds fair to me.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” That crease between his eyebrows got so deep, it threatened to bisect his nose. It struck me as kind of endearing, even cute. Panic shot through me a moment later.

“You never took the hint when you were chasing me around town.”

“Yeah, but I’m not a bloodsucking gold-digger with a Mata Hari complex.”

“Oh, a female stalker.” I had a hard time smothering laughter, but I tried, just out of a sense of pity.

“Save me. If we’re friends at all, give me a good excuse not to be available.”

Excerpt: NIGHT OF THE LIVING PROOF, Neighborlee, Ohio, Book 5

 “Well, I know you’re not fishing for an invitation to the next Trek party, because you have Mandy’s email and phone, so you can ask her.”

“I have just about everybody’s email and phone.” He grinned triumphantly as he settled down at Franny’s desk, which faced mine. Nice of him not to sit on my desk and look down on me. That was a power move I always resented. Sometimes I considered ramming people’s ankles with the footrests of my chair in response.

“Besides, the ship isn’t having a New Year’s party.”

“So that means you’re free?”

Ah ha! We finally touched on the reason for his visit.

“I’m very expensive, and don’t you forget it,” I shot back.

That got raised eyebrows, then a more relaxed grin as he sat back in Franny’s chair. It conveniently tried to collapse into the full recline position, which it was not constructed to do.

While he struggled to get upright again and put Franny’s three sweaters back in place on the back of the chair, I fought with the paralyzing realization of the implications of his question. He wasn’t asking me to go out with him for New Year’s, was he? Why in the world would he do that?

“I’m busy. Working,” I said, when he was sitting upright and gazing hopefully at me again.

“Great. New material?”

“Not sure yet.”

QUIZ: Night of the Living Proof , part of the Visitors' Guide to Neighborlee, Ohio

 Listen to Chapter 1 of NIGHT OF THE LIVING PROOF on the Ye Olde Dragon's Library storytelling podcast, either on the YeOldeDragonBooks.com website or on your favorite podcasting app. Then, answer these questions, send your answers to 2OldeDragons@gmail.com, and earn points toward free books! Your deadline: May 31.

 

1.    What did Lanie get that she shouldn't have, that made her scratch?

2.    What did she want to ask Harry to get from Angela for her, while he was out running errands?

3.    Why was London trying to find Kurt, and why did she ask Lanie for help finding him?

4.    What didn't Felicity get for Christmas from Jake?

5.    What did Stephanie's death and Lanie's broken back prove about the energy surrounding Neighborlee?

6.    Who was waiting at Divine's when Lanie and Felicity went there, the day after Christmas?

7.    What did Lanie think was in her neck? What other possibility caused the reaction in her neck?

8.    What did the doctor think was bothering Lanie? What was its intention?

9.    What happened to Hayward when he was sixteen? What choices was he given by the two old men? What did he choose?

 

Excerpt: NIGHT OF THE LIVING PROOF, Neighborlee, Ohio, Book 5

 “What are you doing here?” I nearly forgot to grab at my wheels to keep from sliding backwards down the ramp.

Having the new owner show up before the office was officially open for business was odd enough to be suspicious.

“Good morning, Daniel. Did you have a nice Christmas? Yes, thanks, how was yours, Lanie?” He gave me that crooked grin too similar to my brothers’ when they were hiding something.

I echoed him obediently, which got a chuckle from him, and wheeled into the building. I paused and wobbled my chair from side to side (getting a wide-eyed look of shock and admiration from Daniel) to knock the sludge off the wheels, onto the entryway mat.

“So what are you doing here? Hiding from something?” I had to ask.

“What makes you say that?” he asked just a little too quickly.

Guilt. Sure sign of it.

“You don’t have to be here. You don’t need to be here. Especially on a Friday, when there’s probably tons of work to do at your own office. Therefore, unusual circumstances.” I led the way up the ramp to the level where my desk sat. The Tattler office occupied all four units in a row of buildings, with the common walls knocked out years ago. I maneuvered as I always did through the detritus from yesterday’s delivery crises. No chance of seeing his face when I made my Sherlockian deductions. Which might have been a mercy stroke for him.

“Maybe I want to see how the newest member of the company is doing, as we get ready to step into a new year?” His usual confident, pleasant expression was back on his nicely square-cut face when I turned around. I had to wonder if I mistrusted him more because he was good-looking than because he took away my beloved sports beat and stuck me with the lovelorn advice column, Talk to Terry.

Excerpt: NIGHT OF THE LIVING PROOF, Neighborlee, Ohio, Book 5

 There ought to be a law against a workday landing between Christmas and the weekend. I knew what waited for me. The half-awake feeling of the day after a holiday at the newspaper office. Everyone straggling in, fighting the don’t-I-get-a-holiday-too pokiness of the computers. The computers at our office made me believe in animism—inorganic objects having sentience. For instance, in college, my adviser celebrated the first snowfall of the season throwing snowballs at the window of the Humanities dean … until one snowball broke it. When we had a freeze two days later, the only pipes on the entire Willis-Brooks College campus that froze and broke were in his office. Animism.

My brain still churned over our breakfast conference, the poisoned dart in my neck, and the adrenaline rush of having had my life threatened. I could have claimed some invalid status, either physical or emotional. But no, I had responsibility branded into my genetic structure by my parents. Which was weird, considering what hippies they were.

So with heavy heart and slushy gloves, I pushed my chair through the sludge filling the parking lot and up the ramp to the office door. And nearly got brained by the door when Daniel pushed it open just as I was reaching for the handle.

Yes, I had finally gotten into the habit of calling him Daniel instead of the Evil Overlord. Honestly, how could I hate a fellow Trekker who was a not-so-secret-anymore fan of my comedy?

Did someone say FREE BOOKS?

 I'm participating in a giveaway at King Sumo for the fairytale anthology series at Ye Olde Dragon Books.

The first fairytale anthology, WHEN YOUR BEAUTY IS THE BEAST, with stories all based on Beauty & the Beast, has been delisted as of May 1.

This giveaway -- for both print and ebooks -- will give away the first 5 fairytale anthologies, to say farewell to Beauty and welcome the piggies.

Here's your chance to enter, one last chance to claim Beauty!!

Entering the giveaway puts your name on a list to go to all the participating authors, to add you to their newsletters for sneak previews of books, cover art, works-in-progress, giveaways, public appearances, and more fun stuff!

New Featured Book in the Visitors' Guide to Neighborlee: NIGHT OF THE LIVING PROOF

 

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.

 

 

Firsty Freebie: SUMMER SONG, A Tabor Heights novella, sequel to FIRESONG

 

Why is this month's FREE short story a Tabor Heights story?

Because ....

FIRESONG is my new release this month. The next story in the Tabor Heights small town romance series releases TODAY from Mt. Zion Ridge Press.

If you go to Ye Olde Dragon Books, you can get the ebook or audiobook at a discount.

SUMMER SONG, is the sequel, a little more than a year after the events of FIRESONG.

Here are your links to get either the ebook or the audiobook FREE, today: 

Audio:  https://dl.bookfunnel.com/mbxho5njrz

Ebook:  https://dl.bookfunnel.com/vzya8hdo4t

 

What are they about? Well, music, first of all. FIRESONG is the singing group that my heroine, Dani Paul, and her brother and cousins have formed. They're on the verge of breaking out into the big time. They have a new manager. They're preparing to professionally record a CD. But the big time isn't all it's cracked up to be, and when they're forced to choose between their faith and their principles, and what their manager wants ... they face losing everything.

In SUMMER SONG, Dani faces more choices, and more threats, and she's feeling a little impatient when it comes to her romantic relationship with the boy from her past who returned to her life. Success isn't exactly how she imagined it to be. She thought she was ready for some sacrifices, but now she isn't so sure.

Love changes everything.