Step inside the fictional bookshop on a snowy Christmas Eve to read the first stave of the classic, A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens.
The Fictional Bookshop will return in 2024 with monthly episodes, starting in January.
For more about Liz, visit LizDelton.com
Step inside the Fictional Bookshop to listen to a very epic season 2 finale featuring: Divinity's Twilight Rebirth by Christopher Russell. Today we have a special guest narrator: Jim Patton.
A note on content: Fantasy violence, gore.
Fictional Bookshop will return in 2024 with monthly episodes! And tune in on Christmas Eve for a special holiday episode.
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From the back of the book:
A world consumed by war . . .
An ancient evil resurrected . . .
A millennia old bargain comes due . . .
When two blades clash, the third will fall, and the fate of all will be jeopardized. To save Lozaria, the failures of the past must be atoned for by a new generation of heroes. The time has come for mortals to cast off sight and, in doing so, truly come to see . . .
Victory is never absolute.
Seven centuries ago, the forces of order won the Illyriite War on the plains of Har'muth. Darmatus and Rabban Aurelian slew their elder brother, Sarcon, the despotic architect of the conflict, and then sacrificed themselves to banish the cataclysmic vortex opened with his dying breath. The first advent of the Oblivion Well was thwarted. Even without their vanished gods, the seven races of Lozaria proved themselves capable of safeguarding their world.
Or so the story goes. The year is now 697 A.B.H (After the Battle of Har'muth). Though war itself remains much the same, the weapons with which it is waged have evolved. Airships bearing powerful cannons ply the skies, reducing the influence of mages and their spells. Long range communication has brought far flung regions of Lozaria closer than ever before. At the center of this technological revolution are the three Terran states of Darmatia, Rabban, and Sarconia, who have fought a near ceaseless campaign of 700 years in an attempt to best each other. The roots of their enmity lie buried beneath the wasteland of Har'muth, a place all three nations consider best forgotten.
However, an ancient power sealed within Har'muth has not forgotten them, and the descendants of those who fought on that field must now take a stand to rectify the mistakes of the past.
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Divinity’s Twilight: Rebirth copyright Christopher Russell. Read with the author's permission. Guest narrated by Jim Patton.
For more about the author Christopher Russell, visit: www.christopherrussellauthor.com
For more about the guest narrator Jim Patton, visit: jimbpatton.com
Find Liz: www.LizDelton.com
Step inside the fictional bookshop today to listen to the first chapter of Ella Walker Henderson's epic fantasy adventure book, Of Wind and Lightning, the first book in the Selah series.
From the back of the book:
In a land of legends, three rival nations hunt the ancient relic that can control rare and powerful warriors.
With lightning speed and an affinity for knives, Desa is a legendary, one of the warriors the relic can enslave.
Disguised as a mercenary, she joins a band of enemy warriors who also hunt the relic. In the height of battle, a startling connection links her to their leader.
Will he help her find the relic or betray her for the glory of his northern kingdom? His aid could be worth the risk.
For if her oldest adversary succeeds in the hunt, he will destroy her and her world.
Who will triumph? Join the epic quest to find the relic first.
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Of Wind and Lightning copyright Ella Walker Henderson. Read with the author's permission. For more about Ella Walker Henderson, visit: https://ellawalkerhenderson.com
Find Liz: www.LizDelton.com
As you head down a historic cobblestone road, you spot a bookshop and head inside to read the first chapter of A.L. Lorensen's book, Of Evergreens and Aspen Trees.
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From the back of the book:
War leaves neither man nor magic untouched.
Tristan knows this truth all too well. The twenty-year war against the magic of the Ancient Races has stolen his family, his home, and his past. He clings to the only things left to him; a scar from a wound meant to kill him, a mysterious silver ring, and the name of the place where he was snatched from death. Stationed in Fort Lorate the past five years - the only years of his life he can remember – he has done nothing but wait for the day he can pursue the fragments of his life that must be somewhere on the kingdom’s battlegrounds.
Secrets buried deep in Lorate’s roots unravel when an elven woman named Aspen infiltrates its walls, and Tristan's life is shattered in mere moments. Despite being on opposite sides of the bloody, bitter war, Tristan asks for her aid when his duties clash with his conscience.
Trying to prevent Lorate from becoming a threat to her homeland and battling a private war within herself, Aspen has every reason to gut Tristan where he stands and be done with the matter. But she doesn’t, to her eternal dismay.
Together, Tristan and Aspen embark on a journey of memories, curses, monsters, and storms. Forces both mortal and magical combine against them, and their only hope of success is to rebel against the hatred woven by war and come together as one.
For ever and always. For evergreens and aspen trees.
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For Evergreens and Aspen Trees copyright A.L. Lorensen. Read with the author's permission. For more about author, visit: aLLwrites.com/subscribe
Find Liz: www.LizDelton.com
As you pass through a busy marketplace, you spot a bookstore and head inside for a brief moment of quiet to peruse the first few chapters of a new book by Amy Campbell, Dragon Latitudes.
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From the back of the book:
I'm not a dragon. There's absolutely NO WAY I can be a dragon.
As a dragon-hunter, I never thought I'd be the one being hunted. Until a recruit decided to toss me overboard to prove that I was no different from the dragons we were after. And just like that, my life changed forever.
Not for the better, by the way.
Now, I'm grappling with my new identity as a dragon while my former crewmates are hot on my tail, ready to avenge me by taking down the beast they believe is responsible. (And by "beast," they mean me.)
Lucky for me, I have my best friend and the jerk who threw me overboard to help me navigate this mess. Together, we're on a quest to uncover the truth about my past and the dragon world's secrets.
But it's not that simple. We're facing betrayal, treachery, and the Jade Empress's wrath. Oh, and let's not forget the prophecy hanging over our heads. No pressure, right? It's just a fate that could change history forever and kill everyone I care about.
So if you want an adventure that'll keep you on the edge of your seat, join me as I embrace my inner dragon and fight to protect those I love. Just remember, with the stakes this high, death isn't just a possibility; it's a looming threat.
Fans of Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series, Robin Hobb’s Liveship Traders, and Jim Butcher’s unique magic systems will love this dragon-filled steampunk adventure.
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Dragon Latitudes copyright Amy Campbell. Read with the author's permission. For more about the author, visit: https://www.amycampbell.info/
Find Liz: www.LizDelton.com/fictional-bookshop
As you stroll into the fictional bookshop on a charming autumn day, you discover a curious book with a key on the cover: A Curse, A Key & A Corkscrew, by Anna McCluskey. You browse the first chapter, before setting back out into the autumn air.
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From the back of the book:
She's cursed, surrounded by idiots, and can't find the corkscrew. Something's got to give.
Twenty-nine years ago, Joan's first grade teacher, suffering from a migraine, put a curse on her entire class, giving them an electric jolt and taking away their sight and voices. The symptoms faded the next day, but there’s reason to believe it’ll be back soon – and it’s already starting for some.
As adults, Joan and a core group of her classmates have been racing against the clock, sifting through any info they can find on the supernatural, with no success. So when Joan comes across a skeleton key that gives her that same jolt, she hopes this may be their first real lead. She calls in reinforcements and they all descend on her house - a stuffy neuroscientist, a yoga teacher to the stars, a pot-smoking ghost hunter, and her sexy on-again-off-again boyfriend.
Will Joan be able to find the antidote to the curse before it takes over their lives – and before these wackos drive her completely bonkers? And what'll happen when her boyfriend's witchy ex comes back into the picture?
A Curse, A Key, & A Corkscrew is the first installment of the hilarious Rhymes with Witch series. If you love quick reads, snarky heroines, and whimsical storylines, you'll definitely want to check this one out.
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A Curse, A Key & A Corkscrew copyright Anna McCluskey. Read with the author's permission. For more about the author, visit: https://www.annamccluskey.com/
Find Liz: www.LizDelton.com/
Step inside the fictional bookshop on a dark All Hallows night amid the rustling leaves and spectral moon. Peruse the first chapter of Lord of the Hollow Court, by C.K. Beggan before heading back out into the night.
LORD OF THE HOLLOW COURT, Fade to Black Edition, Season of the Fae Book One by C.K. Beggan
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From the back of the book:
A human girl in want of a husband. A fae lord of a court on the brink. This year’s Samhain revel shall be anything but ordinary.
It's Halloween night in Sleepy Hollow, and Katty is desperate to find a husband. When prime target Ichabod flees into the woods, Katty steals her friend's horse and chases after him—only to encounter a frightening spirit on horseback. While stumbling through the misty woods, Katty finds herself in an enchanted fae manor.
As Lord of the Hollow Court, low fae Braam hosts the Samhain revel each year, an event that draws high fae from international courts—including his liege and secret lover, Madeleif. Despite his efforts to perfect every detail of the revel and save his Court, Braam is irresistibly drawn to Madeleif, right under her royal mate's nose.
But this year's revel must go off without a hitch: if Braam can't prove his court's worth, the Hollow Court will be absorbed into the merciless Court of Claws. After Katty is discovered in his pantry, Braam scrambles to save a human girl he's never met instead of returning to the woman he loves.
Will Katty and Braam be each other's salvation? Or is a single human girl all it takes to topple the Hollow Court for good?
This fae The Legend of Sleepy Hollow retelling is the first in a series of interconnected, standalone romantic fantasy novels, each set during a different time of year in fae courts around the world. Lord of the Hollow Court: Fade to Black Edition features historical romance, an age gap romance, a marriage of convenience and tension-filled fade to black scenes.
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Lord of the Hollow Court copyright C.K. Beggan. Read with the author's permission. For more about the author, visit: https://www.ckbeggan.com/
Find Liz: www.LizDelton.com/fictional-bookshop
As you step off the train into a countryside village, you spy a bookshop were you read 2 chapters of Liz Delton's All Hallows Airship, before meeting a friend.
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From the back of the book:
A catastrophic blast. A haunting memory. And she only has one chance to prove her family’s innocence.
All Caz Coppersdown has ever wanted is to be a journalist for the Soldark Times. But the chances of her parents letting her pursue a breaking story are slim. Secluded after a childhood illness, Caz finally gets to leave Soldark for a trip to the country to her great aunt's estate, but she quickly finds out there isn’t anything newsworthy there—unless you count her aunt's upcoming All Hallows Eve soiree.
Until the local airshow clashes with her aunt’s party plans—causing more than just pumpkins to be destroyed. When Caz meets one of the airship pilots and discovers something about her family's past, Caz might have just found her big story.
But she’ll need to dig for the facts quickly, because the constables are looking for a culprit, and old ghosts are making themselves known on this All Hallows Eve.
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All Hallows Airship copyright Liz Delton. For more about Liz, visit: www.LizDelton.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lizdeltonwrites
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On your way home from the apple orchard, you duck inside a bookshop to get out of the rain, where you read the first few chapters of The Girl Who Talks to Ashes, by Rachel Rener. You get immersed in this haunting story of time bending and sleuthing before heading back home. [CW: Death of an animal.]
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From the back of the book:
Fifteen-year-old Willow is terrified of her new baby, Lilah, who has a peculiar form of epilepsy. Every time Lilah's eyes glaze over, terrible things happen: flowers shrivel, food goes to rot - even Willow's long, auburn hair turns stark white. But it's the death of the family cat that becomes the last straw; in the middle of the night, Willow and her mother dump the infant at the fire station two towns over – and are never heard from again.
The next morning, Chief Stanley Quinn takes Lilah home and cares for the toddler as best as he can. With medication, her epilepsy remains under control... For the most part.
But as a teenager, Lilah isn't always keen on taking her pills, and when she sneaks away to a rock concert with the cutest boy in school, something terrible happens, landing both of them in the hospital. After Stanley breaks down and confesses everything to his adopted daughter, she decides to track down the young girl who gave her up sixteen years ago; the young girl who never made it home that night… The young girl who is now presumed to be dead. Soon, Lilah's quest to find her birth mother becomes a quest to solve a sixteen-year-old missing persons case. She has everything she needs to find her – she just needs to learn how to control her peculiar ‘gift’ before she kills someone.
Again.
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The Girl Who Talks to Ashes copyright Rachel Rener. Read with the author's permission. For more about Rachel Rener, visit: www.rachelrener.com
Find Liz: www.LizDelton.com
Welcome to Fictional Bookshop! A storytelling podcast where you step inside a fictional bookshop, take a book from the shelf, and read the first chapter. This week, as you visit a mountaintop village, you spy a bookshop, where you step in from the brisk morning air to read the first chapter of A Breaking of Realms, by Jasmine Young.
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From the back of the book:
Build realms. Follow the rules. Never go rogue.
The Realm-Building Enterprise is open to all. On the continent of Elondria, anyone may become the next legendary dragon rider by building the greatest towns, cities, and even realms.
All it takes is hatching an egg—a legal one, that is.
Skálda Branwright dreams of leaving the Longcold and becoming the first Dragonlord to build an official realm. But that may prove difficult after she defies the Enterprise and rescues a wild hatchling.
This is no ordinary dragon. It was best kept dead. The Enterprise is a human’s path to a glorious future—but it is ruthless to those who would defy the elves that made the rules.
She never meant to steal a dragon. She always meant to build a realm. She never wanted to break the continent.
A Realm-Breaker is coming.
An exhilarating new dragon rider vs. "Vikings" epic that merges Eragon's rich lore with the worldbuilding of Pern and the dragon magic of Ascendant.
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A Breaking of Realms copyright Jasmine Young. Read with the author's permission. For more about Jasmine Young, visit: https://www.jasmineyoungauthor.com/
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Find Liz: www.LizDelton.com/fictional-bookshop
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At the end of a long, solitary walk, you spot a bookshop, where you peruse the first chapter of David Green's Before the Shadow, a prequel to the Empire of Ruin series. After reading your fill of the epic fantasy, you head back out into the evening light, though you're eager to return to the bookshop next time.
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From the back of the book:
Disgraced and exiled, Zanna Alpenwood arrives alone at the remote citadel Solitude, ready to serve her empire until her final breath. But she soon learns violence and treachery lurk even here at the edges of the empire of Haltveldt and must decide once and for all which side she will stand on.
Meanwhile, beyond the walls of Solitude, a lone figure watches the guards high on the battlements. Things are changing for his people and Tilo finds himself tasked with a world-changing purpose, and must make a decision that will change the face of Haltveldt forever.
Separated by mountains and yet tied together by fate, Zanna and Tilo alone must face the weight of their choices against the backdrop of impending ruin. For better or worse, a shadow is falling on them all.
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Before the Shadow copyright David Green. Read with the author's permission. For more about David Green, visit: www.davidgreenwriter.com
Find Liz: www.LizDelton.com/fictional-bookshop
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lizdeltonwrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizdeltonwrites
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizdelton
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Fictional Bookshop returns for Season 2 on October 3, 2023.
In the meantime, check out Liz's Kickstarter, available only from Sept 5-21: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lizdelton/seasons-of-soldark-special-edition-hardcover?ref=dd6vjc
Lightning flashes as you head towards a nearby village and dash into the nearest shop, which turns out to be a bookshop. You find a copy of Witch Stone by Mandy O’Dell, and read a chapter before heading back out after the storm.
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From the back of the book:
A half witch with no power. A warlock who’s betrayed his own kind, and the monster that’s hunting them both.
Destined to fail, Rossi is only a half witch. Her coven, her mom, even her troll were constantly trying to make up for lack of magic, but Rossi knows. And she’s over being a burden, but unsure how to fix it.
On a stormy night, a bolt of lightning makes the choice for her, while at the same time, sending a pulse out into the magical world. Within hours, strangers start showing up in her small mountain county by the bucketloads.
An annoying, but somewhat swoony warlock with plenty of his own secrets.An unusual unicorn who had delusions of grandeur.A monster that uses tricks of the mind to trap its prey.And more witches than Rossi could possibly count.
All of them interested in only one thing.
Rossi.
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Witch Stone copyright Mandy O’Dell. Read with the author's permission. For more about Mandy O’Dell, visit: https://mandyodellbooks.com/
Find Liz: www.LizDelton.com/fictional-bookshop
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lizdeltonwrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizdeltonwrites
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizdelton
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Come back next week for our Season 1 finale, Before the Shadow by David Green. We'll be back October 3rd after a break. While the bookshop is closed, check out Liz's Kickstarter campaign for her Seasons of Soldark special edition hardcover: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lizdelton/seasons-of-soldark-special-edition-hardcover?ref=dd6vjc
As you hurry into the nearby village to look for a gift, you spot a bookshop you’ve never noticed before, and head inside to read the first chapter of Kimberly Grymes’ YA Science-Fantasy novella, The Red Umber Forest.
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From the back of the book:
Ulissa lives on Anuminis, where she lives a simple life, and likes living a simple life. She wakes up and goes to school, hangs out with her best friend, Jasper, apprentices in her village’s amphitheater, and practices her inherent magic with her younger sister.
But no matter what Ulissa does, nothing’s ever good enough for her mom. Her sister always outshines her, and luck is never on her side. That is, up until the day the most powerful woman of their kind, Fawness comes to their village. Ulissa wants nothing more than to attend the theater event where Fawness will be telling one of her famous stories. That’s if she can stay out of trouble with her mom.
It’s a day full of unexpected ups and downs, tears and surprises, and a few heartwarming moments.
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The Red Umber Forest copyright Kimberly Grymes. Read with the author's permission. For more about Kimberly Grymes: https://kimberlygrymes.com/
Find Liz: www.LizDelton.com/fictional-bookshop
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As you head down an enclosed corridor of shops, the wind whistling across the panes of glass in the ceiling, you step inside a bookshop to peruse the first chapter of Brady Hunsaker's YA fantasy novel, Scorned Prince.
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From the back of the book:
A hated prince with few days to live. A rogue shaman girl vying for peace. His hatred of shamans and her rare magical talent will pit the two against each other.
The city state of Jehubal is on the verge of destruction when the enemy shaman tribe reawakens ancient, magical weapons, and Katsi Danan’s newfound power may be the only thing capable of bringing peace.
Hoping to regain his mother’s favor before she has him killed, Prince Migo Rikaydian is hunting Katsi down as his primary suspect of a recent murder. Katsi is
no killer, but when she discovers that her former tribe is plotting to destroy the city, she must decide what price she’s willing to pay.
Get ready for an epic fantasy on a fun new world, filled with adventure, mystery, and a dash of romance.
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Scorned Prince copyright Brady Hunsaker. Read with the author's permission. For more about Brady Hunsaker: https://bradyhunsaker.com/
Find Liz: www.LizDelton.com/fictional-bookshop
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After rain strikes on your trip to a public garden, you spot a bookshop where you can take refuge until the storm passes, where you find Regeneration, by Cassie Greutman. You read the first chapter before setting back out into the drizzle.
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From the back of the book:
Nobody defied the Faerie Council… until now.
At sixteen years old, Trisha has been in the foster care system for years and has barely survived. She has always felt different. An outsider. That’s how it must be. After all, she has a secret to protect.
But the time to hide her truth may be at an end.
Dragged before the Faerie Council, her fae lineage makes it mandatory for her to bend to their will. A hunt is underway for a fae fugitive and she is to join the team tracking him. Saying no isn’t an option. The stories of what they do to those who disobey orders chill her to the bone.
Who else is on this mandatory squadron? None other than her ex, who shot her and left her for dead. Sure, she healed. But that kind of memory stings. Can they find the fae on the run before he comes into his powers? Or worse, before Trish destroys any chance she has of staying with the foster parents who love her?
A perfect read for fans of YA Urban Fantasy full of action and found family!
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Regeneration copyright Cassie Greutman. Read with the author's permission.
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For more about Cassie Greutman: https://www.cassiegreutman.com/
Find Liz: www.LizDelton.com/fictional-bookshop
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After walking along the beach after sunset, you spot a bookshop on the boardwalk, where you find Shattered Souls, by Emily Huffman. You read the first few chapters of the epic fantasy novel before setting back out into the evening.
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From the author:
Shattered Souls is the first book in an epic fantasy trilogy. Join Blaine and his friends as they explore the world of Krajina and work to save it!
Blaine always dreamed of being a hero and would do anything to see that dream come true. Working to help free the Forgehearts from a life of slavery and servitude, he thinks he's on the right path. But when a monster from his nightmares begins hunting him and his companions, Blaine's life is turned upside down, and he questions if he will ever become the hero he aspires to be.
Pursued by people he thought he could trust and the Shard—a dark creature summoned from another world—Blaine and his friends go searching for answers. Trying to uncover secrets of the Shard, they uncover truths about themselves, the world, and the gods that puts their entire world in danger. --------------------------------------------------------- Shattered Souls copyright Emily Huffman. Read with the author's permission. ---------------------------------------------------------
For more about Emily Huffman: https://emilyhuffmanbooks.com/ Find Liz: www.LizDelton.com/fictional-bookshop TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lizdeltonwrites Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizdeltonwr... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizdelton
Wander down a cobblestoned street to find the fictional bookshop, where you'll browse a chapter of Eileen Mueller's Anakisha's Dragon, and read a chapter from this YA epic fantasy, before setting back out into the night. You'll meet Yanir, a dragon rider, and his mount Syan, as they conduct what is seemingly a basic patrol over a nearby village, only to discover a brawl on the city streets, where a girl has been injured.
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Anakisha's Dragon, copyright Eileen Muller. Read with permission.
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Find Eileen Muller here: https://www.eileenmuellerauthor.com/
Find Liz: www.LizDelton.com/fictional-bookshop
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On your way to a party, you spy some interesting shops, including a store that sells tea and books. You step inside to read the first chapter of an old favorite, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll. A book in the public domain, available on Project Gutenberg.
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Find Liz: www.LizDelton.com/fictional-bookshop
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Step inside the fictional bookshop on your way home from the village's summer celebration, where you'll wander down a narrow alley to a bookstore. There you'll find a copy of The Tenets in the Tattoos, by Becky James, and read a chapter of this fantasy novel before heading back home.
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The Tenets in the Tattoos, copyright Becky James. Read by the author.
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Find Becky James: https://www.beckyjamesauthor.co.uk/
Find Liz: www.LizDelton.com/fictional-bookshop
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