Showing results by narrator "Renee Dorian" in All Categories

It’s been three months since Ollie made a daring deal with the smiling man to save those she loved, and then vanished without a trace. The smiling man promised Coco, Brian and Phil, that they’d have a chance to save her, but as time goes by, they begin to worry that the smiling man has lied to them and Ollie is gone forever. But finally, a clue surfaces. A boy who went missing at a nearby traveling carnival appears at the town swimming hole, terrified and rambling. He tells anyone who'll listen about the mysterious man who took him.

Willow has never felt like she belonged anywhere and is convinced that the only way to find a true home is to travel the world. But her plans to act on her dream are put on hold when her aloof and often absent mother drags Willow to Salem, Massachusetts, to wrap up the affairs of an aunt Willow didn’t even know she had. An aunt who may or may not have been a witch. There, she meets Mason, a loner who’s always felt out of place and has been in and out of foster homes his entire life.

Preacher has agreed to escort Barnaby Cooper through Dakota Territory’s hills to establish a trading post. Accompanied by his friends Lorenzo and Tall Dog, the mountain man hopes they’ll be able to protect Cooper from Sioux warriors who don’t want any white man trespassing on their sacred grounds. But the Sioux aren’t the only hostiles staking their claim in the region.

Having survived sinister scarecrows and the malevolent smiling man in Small Spaces, newly minted best friends Ollie, Coco, and Brian are ready to spend a relaxing winter break skiing together with their parents at Mount Hemlock Resort. But when a snowstorm sets in, causing the power to flicker out and the cold to creep closer and closer, the three are forced to settle for hot chocolate and board games by the fire. Ollie, Coco, and Brian are determined to make the best of being snowed in, but odd things keep happening.

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.

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.

Quinn Victoria Caine is back in her quirky town of Vienna, Virginia, starting her new life as a bookbinder in her family-owned bookshop. With her trusty German Shephard RBG - Ruff Barker Ginsburg - by her side, what can go wrong? Okay, sure, bumping into her ex Scott or her former high-school nemesis Tricia is a drag. It certainly doesn't help that they’ve acquired the new hobby of shoving their recent engagement in her face every chance they get. But that doesn't mean Quinn wanted to find Tricia dead in the road. So why does half the town think she may have done it?

In the opulent sinking city of Dantessa, the Great Game rules all. Pia Paro believes that so long as you follow the rules, you always have a chance at winning. But after her beloved Gramps is sentenced to a life of servitude, Pia accepts a dangerous offer and joins a team of players seeking to win the most perilous game of all: Noctis. The Seafoxes—Pia’s new teammates—are unlike anyone she’s ever met. There’s bold Carlo; macabre Serafina; kindhearted Pasquale; and their ringleader, Vittoria. Each has their own reason for playing, and soon, Pia begins to question all her long-held beliefs.

Four orphans have escaped from the Home for Friendless Children. One is Lucy, who used to talk and sing. No one knows why she doesn't speak anymore; silence is her protection. The orphans find work and new friends at a traveling circus. Lucy loves caring for the elephants, but she must be able to speak to them, and to warn others of danger. If Lucy doesn't find her voice, she'll be left behind when the circus goes on the rails. Meanwhile, people are searching for Lucy, and her puzzling past is about to catch up with her.

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.

Twelve-year-old Ainsley Galloway and her ten-year-old brother, Tobin, have just moved to the small picturesque mountain town of Lowry. The town is famously the setting for the blockbuster Legend of Greyhallow trilogy, and there are traces of the films wherever they go. Ainsley’s parents even bought the film director’s former home, which they dream of turning into an inn that caters to fans eager to check out the local Greyhallow Movie Festival. But when Ainsley and Tobin are fooling around in the attic of their new home, Ainsley unleashes something—something she doesn’t quite understand.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Wini's family of enchanters runs a little bakery, but with the prices of magical ingredients skyrocketing, they're going under. Desperate to save her family's business, Wini takes a risk by casting a (sort of illegal) spell that would allow them to gather their own supply of their most needed magical ingredient: love. But the spell doesn't work. And Wini soon discovers that it didn't just not work; it backfired. Badly. Now the whole town is in danger, and the Enchantment Agency is sniffing around for whoever cast the wayward spell.

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.

Kit may be the youngest wizard ever, but she sure doesn’t feel like the best wizard. Her magic just keeps going wrong, and other weird stuff is happening too: talking animals, exploding fireballs, and a strange new arrival in the local park. Even Dogon (the half dog, half dragon) is droopy! So Kit and her two best friends - animal-whispering Alita and studious Josh - set off with Faith the librarian to investigate this wild magic that’s causing so much commotion. Their journey takes them to a Scottish loch, where they meet an eco-conscious wizard and some very grumpy mermaids.

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.