Michelle L. Levigne's Blog, page 6

Excerpt: QUITTING THE HERO BIZ, Neighborlee, Ohio, Book 6

 

The truck stoppedjust within the edge of the park, among clumps of bushes. That was a bad sign,no matter where it took place. Jane dropped a little closer, enough to seethree people in the truck when a door opened and the inside light came on. Thedriver got out, and two people slid out of the passenger door. The three linkedarms. Her fingertips tingled faintly, and a soft rainbow-tinted shimmeringhovered in the air around the trio.

"Oh heck heckheck," Jane muttered, and threw herself backward as the trio rose straightup in the air. She knew they couldn’t see her, but logic said if she couldsense the vibrations of Gifted energy in use, someone else might be sensitiveenough to sense her using her Gift. Shivering, she flew straight back totown, glancing over her shoulder, ready to change course if those threefollowed her. Being invisible might be no help at all.

Oddly, she feltvaguely disappointed when she got back to the airspace above the NeighborleeArms and there was no one within sight or sensing. She sank down through theroof, down through an empty room, into her hotel room. Distracted, she almostdidn't phase back into solidity before changing back into her pajamas.

"Get agrip," she scolded herself, and laughed a little when she realized she hadforgotten to go check out the Spindelmutter building.

She stayed up untilnearly 3am, curled up on the chaise lounge in front of the balcony door, searchingto feel the presence of the flying trio. Whoever they were, wherever they were,she didn't feel any Gifted energy being used. When she finally climbed intobed, Jane knew what she had to do. This wasn’t something to report over thephone.

Which side of thedecades-old battle were those three strangers on? Agents of the Rivals. Alliesof the Gifted old man whose family ran Sheridan Communications? Residents ofNeighborlee who had escaped the notice of Hoax and the Rivals?

Firsty Freebie: CLASS REUNION, a story in the AFV Defender Universe -- and save all month on AFV Defender stories!!

 

The Firsty Freebiestory for June 1 is CLASS REUNION, a short story set in the AFV Defenderuniverse. This provides some back story to M'kar, Thyal and Dulit'srelationship and history before the events of FRIENDLY FIRE.

 For the entiremonth of June, save $2 off the price of ALL the AFV Defender novelsand $1 off short stories, in print, ebook, and audio, on the Ye Olde Dragon Books website. 

 Class Reunion:

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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 notevil. I swear.”

“Gottaadmit, 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 aresaving my life.”

“MataHari must be pretty bad, huh?”

“You knowhow in Buffy, the vampires are always so gorgeous and fun, then rightbefore they sink their teeth into you, they turn really ugly? Lanie? Are youokay? 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’dinvite himself to the annual Buffy marathon with Felicity, Mandy, and a fewother girls from the ship. I made a mental note to tell them not to tell theEvil Overlord.

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

“Aren’tyou supposed to butter me up before I give you what you want?” I should havecalled in sick.

“You aremy best friend.”

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

“Itstarted when we were kids. Granddad rented a house here in town one summer.” Heleaned back, frowning at me.

“What?What did I do?”

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

“Oh … man…” I fought down another surge of nausea. “Sylvia Grandstone?” I tried to laughwhen 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 ranoff to Hollywood and hasn’t looked back since.”

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

“She wasall sweet and forgiving and said she understood, and she would keep New Year’sfree 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.”

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

“Exactlywhat she said. I told her it was business-related, so she’d be bored, and wewere still making arrangements.”

“Wimp.”

That gota grin from him. I thought maybe I had done my good deed for the day, helpinghim fight through the terror trying to smother him. If my still-nebuloussuspicions were right.

“Havemercy?”

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

“A what?”

“That’swhat I called you when you swept into the office back in November andrearranged everything on us.” I had to explain, since I had let that slip. Whatwas wrong with me? Besides the fact that I actually liked fraternizing with theenemy?

 

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

 

“So yourmother is trying to deflect things and having a hard time? Don’t suppose you’vethought about living in a castle with a really deep moat, stocked withpiranha?”

That gota sickly grin from him.

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

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

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

“Sheshowed up on Christmas Eve, at my folks’ place in Cincinnati, claimingshe must have missed my last phone call to discuss our ‘itinerary,’” he said, makingair quotes. “All apologetic about coming so late, since she was so sure I hadsomething wonderful planned for us to do. I went into panic mode when Mom gaveme this deer-in-the-headlights look. Especially since we had been talking aboutsome hinted threats from the future in-laws, if their darling little girl’sfeelings got hurt.” Daniel sighed and rubbed his face, then raked his fingersthrough 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. Itwas kind of weird how she didn’t react when I said Tattler, becauseshe’s from around here.”

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

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

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

“Mymother needs an excuse.”

“Yourmother is playing matchmaker?”

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

A surgeof nausea went through me so strongly, I had probably turned green for a fewseconds, at least. The way he was talking about the bride-to-be’s family soundedlike the Grandstone clan. Reggie had publicly embarrassed himself last spring,insisting he and Doni Halliday were sweethearts. Until it finally got throughhis 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’tlie or sue or intimidate to get what they wanted.

“Are youokay?” Daniel asked.

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

Ireflected back on the few times I had thought how he and Sylvia Grandstone wereperfect for each other. Before I got to know him. Maybe I had imagined Sylviaaround town the last few weeks because I was being so mean to Daniel? A guiltyconscience 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 youperforming?”

“Eden.”It was no good keeping it a secret from him, since it was in yesterday’snewspaper. “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 doorsare locked?”

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

“What doyou need an excuse not to do?”

“Notexactly do, but see.” Daniel shrugged and put his elbows on the desk and restedhis chin in his hands. That made it hard for him to talk, but he managed. “Howmany times do you have to tell someone you don’t want to spend time with thembefore they stop insisting that you’re being silly and immature, and you weremeant for each other?”

“Soundsfair to me.”

“What’sthat supposed to mean?” That crease between his eyebrows got so deep, itthreatened to bisect his nose. It struck me as kind of endearing, even cute. Panicshot through me a moment later.

“Younever 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 femalestalker.” I had a hard time smothering laughter, but I tried, just out of asense of pity.

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

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

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

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

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

“So thatmeans you’re free?”

Ah ha! Wefinally touched on the reason for his visit.

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

That gotraised eyebrows, then a more relaxed grin as he sat back in Franny’s chair. Itconveniently tried to collapse into the full recline position, which it was notconstructed to do.

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

“I’mbusy. Working,” I said, when he was sitting upright and gazing hopefully at meagain.

“Great.New material?”

“Not sureyet.”