Tag: Magic Arrives

Get all Chapters of my new book, “Magic Arrives”. They’ll all be on Patreon.com by the end of June. Click here. This is my ARC book for early reader feedback. Who knows, your review may be in the final copy!

Note, Patreon will ask for a monthly fee to read all chapters. You can also join for free and get the rollout at the same time as my free site on Royal Road. Click here to go there.

“What’s an ARC Copy?” you may ask.

“Advanced Readers’ Copy” is ARC. It’s the copy I give to my editor. I’m eager for reader feedback. I’ll give you one if you promise to give me a revew when I publish it in July 2025!

“Sign me up!” you say.

Simply email me at [email protected] to receive yours.

Or you can join my newsletter by clicking here. I give the same deal to all my subscribers. (Psst! You’ll also get free audiobooks from me.)

Did you miss my sneak preview earlier this month? (Click here to see it.)

In this post I’ll give you a list of all my chapters on patreon.com. You can also get it on royalroad.com But there are fewer chapters published there.

Get all Chapters of my new book, “Magic Arrives”. Click here.

Or, you can click on each chapter heading.

So it begins – Prologue

Do you read prologues?

Chapter 1 – Tea

How is tea magical?

Chapter 2 – Pinkie

An adorable stuffed dragon comes alive.

Chapter 3 – Fire

Oops! Mixing fire and magic is a no, no.

Chapter 4 – Spot

Who doesn’t love a dog–who talks?

Chapter 5 – Paradise

What is Paradise like?

Chapter 6 – News

What’s the latest news?

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Chapter 7 – Housework

Who likes housework?

Chapter 8 – Lake Michigan

What’s going on near Chicago?

Chapter 9 – Report

Who has believed our report?

Chapter 10 – Viewtube

Mindless video scrolling?

Chapter 11 – Cleveland

What’s going on in the city of the north coast?

Chapter 12 – Sagittarius

Is this about astrology or astronomy?

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Chapter 13 – Writing

How to add excitement to writing.

Chapter 14 – Caught

Who is caught? Where? For what?

Chapter 15 – Wishes

Whose wishes? For what?

Chapter 16 – Viral

Is this a disease or a meme?

Chapter 17 – Flight 216

Learn about a new airline.

Chapter 18 – Measurement

Measure twice, cut once.

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Chapter 19 – Advertising

Advertising for what?

Chapter 20 – Business

Mind your own business.

Chapter 21 – Wishes    

More wishes for you.

Chapter 22 – Dog Show

Whose dog? Whose show?

Chapter 23 – Competition     

Competition can improve a product or service.

Chapter 24 – Magic      

Will this chapter explain magic?

Can you believe it? Get All Chapters of Magic Arrives! Even More below

Chapter 25 – Sales

The least favorite activity for many people.

Chapter 26 – Publicity

This can be good or bad.

Chapter 27 – Detective

What is being detected?

Chapter 28 – All In

This is the way to success.

Chapter 29 – Lawsuit

Who is suing whom?

Chapter 30 – Expert

Who is the expert here?

You’re More Than Half Done! Read These Chapters

Chapter 31 – Thief

Is the thief a protagonist or an antagonist?

Chapter 32 – Sales

Yet more things being sold.

Chapter 33 – Moving Day

Are they using a moving service?

Chapter 34 – Palimony

More legal matters arise.

Chapter 35 – Pre-Trial

Preparation for the upcoming trial.

Chapter 36 – Trial

Who is being tried?

You’re on the home stretch!

Chapter 37 – Mayor

Your Honor, welcome to city hall.

Chapter 38 – School

School days, school days . . .

Chapter 39 – Neighbor

Hi neighbor!

Chapter 40 – Guest

Guests and fish stink after three days.

Chapter 41 – Vacation

Who’s going on vacation?

Chapter 42 – Secretary

Make me a cup of coffee. Magically.

Chapter 43 – NYC

The Big Apple.

Chapter 44 – Friends

Where everyone knows your name.

Chapter  45 – Stew

Mulligan stew?

Chapter 46 – Home

Be it ever so humble …

Chapter 47 – Drafted

Someone close the door, there’s a draft.

Chapter 48  – Preparation

Be prepare–for anything.

Chapter 49 – Animation

Cartoons?

Chapter 50 –  Dragons

What’s a fantasy without dragons?

Chapter 51 – Practical Help

With a little help from my friends…

Chapter 52 – Cavalry

Do they arrive in time?

Chapter 53 – Tanks

Tanks for the memories…

Chapter 54 – The Last Resort

Is this the final vacation stop?

Epilogue

Are epilogues really needed?

Continue reading Get All Chapters of my new book, “Magic Arrives”

Get your ARC Copy of my new book, “Magic Arrives”.

“What’s an ARC Copy?” you may ask.

“Advanced Readers’ Copy” is ARC. It’s the copy I give to my editor. I’m eager for reader feedback. I’ll give you one if you promise to give me a revew when I publish it in July 2025!

“Sign me up!” you say.

Simply email me at [email protected] to receive yours.

Or you can join my newsletter by clicking here. I give the same deal to all my subscribers. (Psst! You’ll also get free audiobooks from me.)

Did you miss my sneak preview earlier this month? (Click here to see it.)

In this post I’ll give you a taste of my second chapter, entitled, “Pinky”. Enjoy!

ARC Copy Chapter 2 Preview! Pinky

Sunday, October 4

I hugged my dragon Pinkie as we went outside to play. I had him since I was a baby. My mom got him for me.  My older brother Lamar went with me. My mom, Shannon, told Lamar that morning, “Lamar if Shayla wants to go outside, you go with her. Don’t let her out of your sight. If you see trouble, both of you get out of there.” I knew trouble sometimes happened in our neighborhood.

Turning to me she said, “Shayla, don’t go running off without your brother. You listen to him and do what he says. I’ll be back at five.” Then she left for her job at Wal-store.

Lamar and I walked in on a fine fall day. I watched the robins hop along the ragged grass in an empty lot. We went to a neighborhood park a few blocks away from our apartment. Lamar pushed me on the swings, and then on the merry-go-round. Then he said, “Shayla, I’m going to play basketball with my friends over there. You stay here till I come back.”

Secret Sneak Preview! Pinky – part 2

I watched him walk to the court next to the park. “Pinkie, what do you think of that? We gotta play by ourselves. What d’ya wanna do? You want me to push you on the merry-go-round? Okay, I’ll try.”

It wasn’t as hard as it looked. I got it up to speed and then hopped on, next to Pinkie. “I’m almost a big girl now. I can push the merry-go-round all by myself. And I started kindergarten this fall.”

I spun the merry-go-round again and again till I got tired. “You getting hungry Pinkie? I am. What do you eat? Bugs? Huh. Whatever. Let me get you some.”

I knelt on the grass next to the merry-go-round’s sand pit.  I loved the smell of the grass.   I poked around the dirt and found some ants and pill bugs. I put one of each in my hand and gave it to Pinkie.

“Num, num! Tastes good, don’t it? D’ya want more? Okay.” I hopped off the merry-go-round and got more. Then I heard something like fireworks coming from the basketball court. “What’s that Pinkie?” Picking up my dragon I ran to the court to check on Lamar.

Secret Sneak Preview! Pinky – part 3

 Some big guys had guns. They were chasing the boys off with lots of yelling. “No little kids here! This court is for men, for our gang!” Lamar ran out.

More young guys came up. “Hey, what d’ya think you’re doing? This is our turf. Get out of here.” They had guns too.

Someone shot a gun. Then a whole firecracker string of shots rang out. Some guys dropped on both sides. The first group ran into the park, then hid behind the playground equipment and started firing again.

A bullet zipped over my head. “Get down, Pinkie!” I fell on top of him, protecting him. I peeked and saw Lamar running full speed toward me. Then he fell.

“Lamar!” I cried. I crawled to him. His blood oozed from his back, warm and sticky. He moaned. I cried.

The blood spread over Lamar’s shirt, like spilled tomato juice. He stopped moaning. I made my own wet spot crying over him. The bullets still zipped above us.  I could taste my salty tears. Pinky squeezed between us.

 “Oh, Pinkie I wish you’d gobble up those guys with guns like you did those bugs!” I cried with all my heart to my magic dragon.

Secret Sneak Preview! Pinky – part 4

Pinkie shook in my hand. He felt like my mom’s cell phone when it buzzed. Then he grew out of my hand. My pink dragon grew to be dog-sized, then horse-sized, then elephant-sized, then bigger. The shooters turned to my giant stuffed dragon, flapping his pink wings in midair. Both gangs shot at him.

Like a cat jumping on a mouse, Pinkie gobbled up a shooter, then the one next to him. Six more gang bangers disappeared into his huge pink mouth before both gangs turned and ran.

“Yay, Pinkie! You chased away those bad guys!” Then I saw Lamar again, quietly bleeding on the ground.

“Oh, Lamar get up! You’ve got to take me home!” I lay on his still body, crying into his wet shirt.

*

I cried myself to sleep. When I woke, Lamar was cold. The shadows were lengthening. Mom would be home soon.

“Lamar!” I began sobbing again. A shadow covered me. Pinkie swooped down. The grass flattened under his big pink feet.

Pinky – part 5

What’s wrong, Shayla?

“Pinkie, Lamar won’t get up. I-I-I think he’s dead!”

You’ve got to wake him up, like you did with me.

“Good idea, Pinkie.” I didn’t think then that Pinkie talked way clearer than he used to.  I began shaking Lamar with all my might. “Lamar, get up! You’ve got to wake up, just like Pinkie.  Get better right now!”

 “O-o-h,” he groaned. He rolled over and looked at me. “What happened, Shayla? Why is my back all wet?”

“There was a fight between two gangs and y-y-you were shot. You’re bleeding.”

He took off his T-shirt. “Yuck! It’s all bloody.” Something fell to the ground. “What’s this?” He picked it up. “It was in my shirt. It’s a bullet! Why do I feel better? I remember getting shot, now.”

 “Lamar, I wished you’d get better so we could go home.” I peered at his back. “You’re all bloody, but there’s no hole in it.”

“And the bullet’s out,” He showed me the bullet. It was bloody and smushed on one side.

Pinkie landed next to us and burped.

“What’s that???”  Lamar stared at the huge dragon, his eyes bugging out.

“Pinkie, of course. I wished he’d eat up those bad guys with guns and he did.”

“Let’s go home. Pinkie will have to stay outside. He’s too big to fit in our apartment. He’s too big to fit on the basketball court!”

Lamar was right. Pinkie’s butt and tail filled the basketball court and he stretched across the grass to us.

“Nah. Pinkie, go back to your regular size.”

No problem. Pinkie answered me. He shrunk down and I picked him up.

“Let’s go.”

Lamar closed his mouth and followed me home. I knew the way. I just wanted Lamar for protection

Continue reading ARC Copy of my new book, “Magic Arrives”