Böcker av Michelle L Levigne

These are the adventures of the E&D ship, AFV Defender. While they aren't quite as death-defying as a certain other notorious ship in the Fleet, they're developing a legend of their own. Some good. Some bad. But most important, they're a family, with all the benefits and drawbacks.Every day is a new adventure. If their misfit luck doesn't finally run out on them. INQUEST: AFV Defender Book 4 Signals are coming from beyond the edges of charted space. All indications are that they are being generated by the broken pieces of a Gate, used by the ancient Gatekeepers to scatter all the Human races across the universe. Except that as far as anyone knew, nothing could dent a Gate, forget break it. Yet the legendary warrior, Etrusca, scattered pieces of broken Gate across known and unknown space. Now, a response is coming in. As one of the top E&D (Exploration and Diplomacy) ships in the Alliance Fleet, the Defender heads across the galaxy to find out just who or what is sending the signal. Except this time, they've been partnered with the Inquest. The only ship in the Fleet with a stranger reputation and record than the Defender. The notorious Captain Illean Shryne and her crew of rule-breakers and miracle-workers always manage to escape from the jaws of death and return covered in glory. Unfortunately, the ships sent on missions with them don't fare so well ...

Ash was warned, and she tried to be careful, but with the Purple Sky magicians hunting her to carry out Lathia's vendetta, there were only so many options open to her. The magic awakening in her blood and breaking free of the binding spells of her enemies made her even more vulnerable to trouble. And attractive to new allies and new enemies. When she rode through the wrong magical doorway and found herself in the enchanted forest, Ash knew she needed to find her way out as quickly as possible. The enchanted castle, however, had other ideas. It needed a princess, and clever, resourceful, magical Ash was just what it had been waiting for. She refused to be a princess, but the castle apparently wasn't listening. As she gained new allies and discovered just what clever traps awaited her, Ash settled in for a battle of wills that might occupy her for the rest of her life. Was it any wonder that when her only freedom lay in being beastly, she dove into the magic and the mask ... and maybe enjoyed it just a little too much? THE ENCHANTED CASTLE ARCHIVES The enchanted castle lies somewhere in the enchanted forest, which touches all kingdoms.At one time or another. There's no predicting when the portal into the forest will open.Getting in is difficult.Getting out is even harder.The castle moves about in the forest, needing an anchor. And a princess.The forest moves from kingdom to kingdom.Until two wanderers stumble inside, and meet in their separate quests to break curses and find answers.

The guardians face their greatest dilemma, when a New Age cult threatens to drive the Grandstones out of Neighborlee -- and take their place. Better the devil they know than the one they don't? Saving Neighborlee Children's Home from foreclosure, and stopping an invasion from otherworldly forces could all depend on Pastor Rocky "getting the band back together." Problem: everyone else died in a fiery crash. Or did they? Multiple enemy forces unite to attack the town of Neighborlee, attempting to turn Pastor Rocky into their newest weapon. Big mistake.

Equinox: Maurice has a day of full-size freedom to spend with his true love, Holly. Their day of fun ends in panic, when Angela is attacked and the defenses of Divine's Emporium are breached. In the search to find out who hired thieves to steal books full of inimical magic from the shop and provided them with magic charms to do it, Angela's memories are stirred. Strange dreams disturb her sleep and she asks questions she hasn't thought of in decades.Ethan Jarrod, a particularly gifted P.I. with some mysteries of his own, joins forces with local P.I. John Stanzer to identify Angela's enemies. Is Jarrod the knight from her dreams, or the final weapon of her enemies, to destroy all the magic of Divine's Emporium and Angela herself?

Jorgan Pace, adopted son of Fleet medics, wants to be an engineer on a starship. Going to the Fleet Academy is far in the future. He''s only ten years old. When his family is transferred to the Defender, they meet two other families also traveling to their new assignment. Despite the short voyage, by the time they reach the Defender Jorgan has made a new friend and earned several enemies. When the bullies play a nasty trick on him, he uses his engineering skills to pay them back, which disappoints his parents. Then, when another nasty trick threatens to get Jorgan in even more trouble, it turns into an opportunity to put his skills to good use. Problems with another boy''s mechanical legs present a mystery for the new friends to solve together, and brings them face-to-face with a creature out of legend. At the end of their journey to their new home, Jorgan''s efforts earn him a chance to meet his hero, Chief Engineer Jasper Lore of the Defender.

Inn of the HealerSarai's Journey, Book 2 Sarai refuses to renounce her faith in Jesus, and her husband, Simon divorces her. She finds shelter with other followers of Jesus amid the turmoil after the crucifixion and news of the resurrection. When her friends decide to journey to Damascus for safety and to establish an inn, she joins them. Discovering she carries Simon's child leads to painful decisions. She claims to be a widow, and prays Simon will not hear the news and take her child from her. Within the safety of the inn family, she builds a new life for herself as a healer. The Inn of the Three Sisters becomes the gathering place for the slowly growing fellowship of Christ's followers. Sarai puts her education to good use, recording the memories of those who walked with Jesus and heard Him teach. Then her old life in Jerusalem reaches out to claim her, calling on old loyalties and friendship. Returning to her former home to help those she still loves means risking discovery, possibly condemnation. Her duty as a healer, and as a follower of Christ, requires a step of faith and courage that seems beyond her. The consequences of her decision will change her life, and the life of her daughter, forever 

Heretic's DaughterSarai's Journey, Book 1 Sarai knew her life's path from childhood. Daughter of a wealthy, respected rabbi, she prepared herself for marriage to a man of equal wealth and status. Her father indulged her curiosity, and provided her an education rare among women of those times. She used the healing talents Adonai had given her, to serve others. However, her father's teachings about the Messiah were in conflict with the high priest, and many in the Sanhedrin. He believed the Messiah would first come as the Suffering Servant, not as a triumphant warrior to rescue Judea from the tyranny of Rome. He was labeled a heretic, ostracized from the Temple. When he died, Sarai's world disintegrated. Her suitor vanished, along with all his sweet promises. Reduced to nothing, Sarai devoted herself to the man who kept his promises when everyone else abandoned her. Then she encountered a rabbi named Jesus, from Nazareth, who fulfilled everything her father had taught about the Messiah. As Jerusalem was split by the question of who Jesus was, Sarai faced the most painful decision of her life. The man who risked everything to rescue her, or the duty she owed to Adonai? Break her promises and lose everything she had regained, or destroy her soul? 

Dinah doesn't want a new man in her life, after her current boyfriend seriously blew their first Christmas together -- and became her ex-boyfriend. She has to find a new church and job, after being fired from her position as church secretary (and dealing with the church politics fallout). Then there's the suitor who insists they are perfect for each other, despite the fact she never filled out a profile at "A Match Made in Heaven."  The worst part in all this is that the man running the job matching service seems to be interested in her, not her profile -- but he doesn't do anything about it. What's a good church-going girl to do when everything seems to go from wrong to weird, and the crazy old lady who insists on helping her find true love doesn't know the meaning of "No!" or "Not ever!"?

There's a special place called Crooked Creek. Only boys and girls can go there.Most of the time, they visit in their dreams, after they say their prayers and kiss Mommy and Daddy good night and go to bed and close their eyes.Bitty Mouse lives there with his ten brothers and eights sisters and Mama Mouse and Papa Mouse.

Eve  was sure that God had created her for ministry rather than marriage, thanks to a bunch of guys who swept through her life with various levels of damage and frustration. Every time she thought about getting rid of that stupid wedding dress, something happened!Guys such as:A patriarchal bully of a cousin who thought he owned her -- and could sell her, for his own benefit.  Her college sweetheart. The guy she bought the dress for -- it didn't suit him any more than it suited her. The guy she was dating on the rebound -- and didn't even know it until he dumped her.  A wacko who tried to terrify her into running into his arms. A hero who pretended to be dating her to protect her from the guy she thought she didn't want.It wasn't until she finally got rid of the dress, and the attached dreams, that true love came into her life.Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor?

Like the Pirates’ Code, many alleged “rules” of writing are more like guidelines…But don’t believe anyone who insists there are NO rules for writing. There are rules: the mechanics. The craft, as opposed to the art. The tools for sculpting clay or stone, or spinning and dyeing thread for weaving, or learning to play scales and read music and keep your instrument in tune, when creating music. The rest -- the “art” portion -- is flexible and adapts to what works best for YOU the writer. The technique for playing the instrument, the point of view and voice for the story, the genre you write in, the images you create from stone and clay, the pattern of the cloth you weave, and the colors you choose to use.When you understand the why of the rules, then you can bend or break them.So Do Yourself A Favor and learn what’s hard-and-fast, and what is flexible. It’ll save you pain and effort and wasted time in the long run.This collection of advice started as blog postings (read: semi-rants) while editing people who had something to say … but didn’t take the time to figure out how to say it. Basically, whenever I ran into something noteworthy in my own writing journey, or things I encountered too often in editing, I blogged about it, hoping the things that frustrated or fascinated me would be helpful to others. Along with those blog posts, revised because of timeliness or to cover a broader subject, or to fit in new discoveries along the way, or because I repeated myself … I offer bits of advice about topics that other authors have found worthy of discussion. Or argument. Or mockery. Or complaint. Or wailing. Or amusement of the I’m-losing-my-mind variety.

The Guardians of the Time Stream is a steampunk-ish series set during the reconstruction of the United States in the decades following the Civil War. Technology is on the rise, with locomotives and steam-powered industry, airships and other experiments in slightly anachronistic technology. A fascination with travel around the world and the exploration of other cultures, especially ancient cultures, is on the rise. One thing to keep in mind is that this is an alternative-history Earth ... The Guardians of the Time Stream, who call themselves the Originators, are determined to ensure the effects of certain events in history don't do any more harm to the planet than has already been done. Their secret: they are the descendants of travelers from our far distant future, who traveled into the distant past to prevent another group of time travelers from altering the world to suit their vision. And as Ess Fremont grows up and learns her heritage, her family's history and their secrets, she takes her place in the battle to protect the world.  ODESSA FREMONT Ess Fremont already hated her boarding school before discovering the headmistress was trying to steal her inheritance. With her archeologist grandparents presumed dead in South America's turmoil, and her older brother missing, she struck out for freedom. Guided by her grandparents' maxim to always help where she was able, and aided by their inventions, Ess made her mark. First step: reveal a Resurrectionist plot to the Secret Service before the Southerners could re-start the Civil War. Disguised as a boy, Ess headed West. Sharp eyes, scientific principles, and engineering knowledge put her in the right place at the right time to do the right thing. Powerful allies included President Lincoln, the Secret Service, circus performers, train inspectors, and Pinkerton agents. Not bad for a girl between her fourteenth and seventeenth birthdays. If she could only find her missing brother and uncover the secrets their grandparents kept from them…

Dragons! Are they good or bad? Do they help humanity or devour them? Depending on the author and the story, you''ll find both. In fact, you''ll find both within the covers of this book!Jasmine is a human child who loves all the creatures of the forest, but the one thing she loves more than anything else is a rescued dragon egg, the one thing that is forbidden in her village. But perhaps with enough love, her dragon will be different. Won''t breaking the rules be worth it if her dragon can protect them all?Fragmar is a wise old dragon who wants very much to be left alone with her books and scrolls. But the ambitions and insanity of the human race call to her for solutions to their dilemmas over and over as the centuries of her life unfurl. Where will it all end?The Hideaway is a cozy little getaway in upstate New York where the wealthy can take their trysts without being seen. At least that''s what Alice has been told. But when she finds her husband''s car, its interior covered in blood, the plot becomes darker, and much more sinister.Confri Audascus has psionic Talent, which makes her a good candidate for the project with the Defender''s crew. Only a Talent can establish communication with the Castitaran dragons, known as numenjax. But when the communication short-circuits Confri and knocks her out cold, she thinks her part in the project is over. Until the numenjax come up with a much more creative plan!The Two Olde Dragons are pleased to introduce The Bard, James K. Bowers, with his epic dragon poems, "Dragonbane" and "Ice Dragon" to open and close the collection.

What do a pregnant, shape-changing, interdimensional visitor, a questionable summer job at an even more questionable new business, a college life sciences project, and returning nemeses have to do with finally finding out what happened to Charlie and Rainbow Zephyr? That's what Lanie and her growing team of allies are trying to figure out. Cerb is back, with Loralee, the "girl" of his dreams -- both of them stuck in dog shape while on Earth -- and looking forward to a "blessed event." Instead of suffering cravings, Loralee digs up Lanie's yard, in her sleep, uncovering jewels and bones and trouble. Then there are strange visions that result from unwise exploration of Black Water Pool and Jinx's pond. Both are off-limits spots in the quarries that have been seriously and strangely affected by past magic. And Senior Prank Night escapades. When magically altered water seems to open a doorway to view the past, Lanie and her brothers take advantage of a chance to figure out what happened to their parents in Bermuda, going on two years ago. The question is if they're preparing to rescue their parents -- or if they are the cause of the mystery after all.

Engagements have become a contagious disease in Neighborlee!In between helping friends plan their weddings, Lanie deals with a dog (that is much more than a dog) that has moved in with her.Then there''s an unwanted match from a dating service that might be planted by enemies of the guardians.While the guardians slowly make contact with possible allies, they sift through warehouses full of information about their enemies, the Rivals, and discover a new problem: Daniel, Lanie''s new boss, might be an enemy spy ...

Dracs: the gift that keeps giving. And making life very interesting for the crew of the AFV Defender. A spatial anomaly near the drac homeworld, a forbidden island, and signs of a civilization that self-destructed are just the tip of the iceberg. When spoiled brat Ambassador Vitiarre''s plot to get his hands on dracs is foiled, he sets out to make trouble for the Defender, and especially Chief of Talents M''kar. His long-standing feud with her father, Ashrock, just makes everything worse. Then a new Chute opens up near the drac homeworld, leading to a planet with dragons in its legends. Despite no dragons present on the planet now, Vitiarre breaks regulations to invade and claim his own dragon. His schemes lead to the Defender being sent to mend the trouble he made with the matriarchal society of Castitarus. The misfit luck of the Defender is hard at work. Male crew are kidnapped. The dracs develop allergies. Female officers are offered diplomatic gifts of men. And the crew race to find a cure for a disease that turns grown men into children -- starting with Security Chief Decker, and Ashrock. A typical mission for the crew of the AFV Defender.

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.