Showing results by narrator "Renee Dorian" in All Categories

Alivia Ryan didn't know the man who claims to be her father through a will even existed until she inherits the Conrath plantation. Instead of the sleepy house she expects, she finds a mansion and a staff who look at her with fear in their eyes. Ian Ward tried to kill Alivia the first time they met and then insisted he train her to defend herself against the House, who he claims will try to manipulate and take her in for their own political reasons. And the growing attraction between them will threaten their lives - Ian is a sworn enemy of the House.

Until next time. That was chilling promise made to Ollie, Coco and Brian after they outsmarted the smiling man at Mount Hemlock Resort. And as the trio knows, the smiling man always keeps his promises. So when the lights flicker on and off at Brian's family's inn and a boom sounds at the door, there's just one visitor it could be. Only, there's no one there, just a cryptic note left outside signed simply as - S.

The town of Silent Bend is about to explode into a war. Alivia swore to take the House from Jasmine after what she did, but it won't happen without retaliation. The whole town is caught in the crosshairs of their manipulation and the body count is climbing. The explanation for Ian's change is one he just can't accept. To Alivia, it should fix all their problems, but Ian has become everything he hates most. And Liv accepting her fate and position will test their relationship to the breaking point.

Amare Bellamy never meant to get married. She had a simple plan: rescue the Captain, rendezvous with the crew, and escape the Sunken City. But when her father bumps up the wedding without notice, she has no choice but to comply… that is, until Lukas shows up. Lukas presents Amare with an ultimatum: break into Skullhaven and collect the ring that could raise the Fallen Witch, or watch her friends die. She agrees, under the contingency that, once their mission is complete, they never speak again.

Girl meets dragon. Girl works to befriend dragon. A large, red, dangerous dragon. Raven Alby will have to train her new ride and save the dragon’s life or die trying. Mix in starting at Fowler Academy as a first-year, becoming a stronger mage, and oh...people disappearing. It's all adding up to typical teenager stuff for a young mage. The first lesson Raven will learn? Don’t ever let anything come between a girl and her dragon.

Raven Alby knows how to train her dragon. She’s learning more every day - and fast - because raiders are attacking the kingdom. The young mage and her best frenemy, Bella Chase, are the only first-year students selected to compete in the annual Tournament of Mages. Can they figure out how to combine their skills and work together? Adventure takes them to the far reaches of the kingdom where an unexpected threat hits the bustling metropolis and disrupts the competition. With her dragon, Leander, by her side, Raven will face an even greater challenge. But will she be there alone?

Raven Alby is finally getting the chance to be an ordinary first-year mage at Fowler Academy. Until her dragon familiar sees a dark shadow in the sky that neither of them can explain. Monsters have invaded the valley of the flightless dragons. Connor Alby’s letter warned magic was returning, but what new threats does it bring? Dragon ranches and stables are being attacked across Lomberdoon, and Raven and Leander could get caught in the middle.

Raven’s grandfather, Connor Alby, has taken off and she has suddenly found herself alone and boarding at Fowler Academy. The Swarm approaches from above and below, and these monsters don’t know how to quit. Will the old wizards be able to teach the young fighters how to finally win? Raven and her friends have barely started school and don’t know how to harness their magic or their familiars - yet. Did I mention Raven’s familiar is a very large dragon? Raven and Leander have learned how to work as one, but it’s going to take more than that to win this war.

In the title story, "Dark Nocturne", D is hired to unlock the secret of a siren's song that is drawing men in their twenties to their deaths in the hills outside Anise Village. In "Notes on Imagined Autumn", D finds himself caught between two lovers during a ritualistic sacrifice in the village of Shirley's Door, but if D can't stop the sacrifice will all in the village be doomed? And in "Legend of the War Demons", two living weapons, genetically engineered creatures who are the last remnants of a war waged hundreds of years in the past, find that battle is not so easily forgotten.

Raven Alby is back at the academy and training her dragon. It’s time for final exams and the Festival of Dragons, so there’s no room for distractions like a tall, dark dragon trainer. But Raven has found new clues about her late parents’ death and is on the hunt. What she finds leaves her with more questions than before.

There are two sides to Bangkok: one expensive, cheesy side for the tourists and one magical, affordable side for the locals and expats. Ditch the generic travel guides that are impersonal AF and feel like they were written for your nerdy cousin who wears socks with sandals. The Solo Girl’s Travel Guide is like having a local girlfriend on the ground in Bangkok. Written by a solo female traveler and Bangkok expat, get ready to experience Bangkok off the tourist path like a local...and do it all while avoiding the scams, creeps, and sketchy hang outs.

Raven Alby is graduating from her first year at Fowler Academy. There are parties and dates with William and a long summer with friends, just like any other teenager with a large dragon. But then a letter arrives from her grandfather. Magic is returning to Brighton, but not everyone is ready to handle it. It’s a race against the fear spreading through Lomberdoon. Can Raven and her friends keep their people safe as they wait for help from the capital that might not come? Will Raven and Connor find what they need in the Valley of the Keepers before magic tears the kingdom apart?

Sparks fly when Molly Prince's puppy Ursula constantly disrupts the beachfront area where new-in-town marine biologist Max Miller is studying sea-turtle mating habits. Max and Molly are instantly attracted to each other, but Molly dismisses Max out of hand. As for Max, he refuses to take Molly seriously when her job is to play the aquarium's mermaid. But when Ursula won't stop digging in Max's beachfront yard and reveals her unique ability to sniff out sea-turtle nests, she might bring these two opposites close enough to help save the turtles, and maybe even save the aquarium.

It’s a new school year for Kit, Alita, and Josh. The three friends learn that their school is getting a brand-new library—and a brand-new baby dragon to help the library grow. They’re overjoyed to look after the precious dragon egg until it hatches—it’s like all their Christmases and Diwalis and birthdays have come at once!

On the first day of eighth grade, thirteen-year-old Layla has a pretty good idea of what’s in store for her—another year of awkward social situations, mediocre grades, and teachers who praise her good behavior but find her academic performance disappointing. Layla feels certain she’s capable of more, but each time she tries to read or write, the words on the page dance and spin, changing partners and leaving her to sit on the sidelines.

The echo of the spinning tire beneath her car seemed to ring louder than the music she attempted to drown her thoughts in. Watching the world pass by in a haze, America sped down the freeway and out of the city while flashbacks of her long-forgotten childhood consumed her. Her parents failed her; the foster care system failed her; social workers, probation officers, teachers, and everyone who was supposed to protect her tossed her aside.

The search is on for a spell in the Valley of Keepers while everyone else tries to keep things running smoothly back home - which is easier said than done. But Raven Alby is a war mage, and she never needed things to be easy. Will a vision from the Keeper monks’ magical gardens give her the edge? Armed with her mom’s sword and a magical map, Raven and her dragon set off to find the last thing they need. Will the two of them be able to find it? Can Raven and Leander get back to Lomberdoon in time to set things straight?

Not even William Moss knows how to train magical dragons. Can he trust that Raven will know what to do? But the Consortium has secrets they need to keep, adding a dangerous wrinkle. Can Raven convince Lomberdoon to accept magic’s new terms? Or will the Guardians balance the deadly scales? The mistakes mages and humans made centuries ago must never be repeated. Raven and Leander, with their friends by their side, will see to it.

This collection of tales is for fans of ghost-story writer Mary Downing Hahn’s scary but not too scary books. Even the stories without actual ghosts are spooky. Each tale turns something ordinary - a pigeon, a white dress, a stranger on the bus, a puppet - into a sinister link to the supernatural. For the human characters, secrets from the past or careless behavior in the present can lead to serious trouble. All the stories have a young person as their central character, so all will resonate easily with young listeners who enjoy the eerie, the creepy, and the otherworldly.

Caroline “Chuck” Wilson has big plans for spring break - hit up estate sales to score vintage-fashion finds and tour the fashion school she dreams of attending. But her dad wrecks those plans when he asks her to spend vacation working the counter at Bigmouth’s Bowl, her family’s failing bowling alley. Making things astronomically worse, Chuck finds out her dad is way behind on back rent - meaning they might be losing Bigmouth’s, the only thing keeping Chuck’s family in San Francisco.