Adventurous Ali: The Transylvania Pocket Watch

By Tyler H. Jolley and Mary H. Geis

Alison Liv Isner's third adventure whisks her away to Transylvania, and this expedition comes with a price. Not only is the castle inhabited by beet-eating vampires, but the Geese have also increased in numbers and boldness. Her bravery is tested. Once reunited with her friends, she quickly learns the value of readiness, and once again, her mom'

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jolley Chronicles
• Release date: Jun 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9781733182164

Tyler H. Jolley

As a kid, Tyler H. Jolley always had a knack for storytelling. When he grew bored of old fables, he created his own exciting and unique worlds. Many years later, he still had so many new ideas and stories swirling in his head, but with nowhere to share it. That’s when he put his pencil to paper and let the creative juices flow. His breakthrough novel, EXTRACTED, came out in 2013 and swiftly became an Amazon Best Seller and Spencer Hill Press Best Seller. Since then, Tyler has been busy publishing over a dozen books. He reexamined the publishing process and created an efficient way to get his countless ideas into print.  Tyler definitely didn’t like to work alone, so he restructured his writing methods into a team approach.  When he’s not writing, you can find him at his orthodontic practice, mountain biking, or on the hunt for the perfect doughnut. Twitter: @Docjolley Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tyler.jolley.319/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tylerhjolley/

Book preview

Adventurous Ali: The Transylvania Pocket Watch

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental

Copyright © 2020 Tyler H. Jolley

Cover Design by Brandon Dorman

Interior Layout by Melissa Williams Design

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Tyler H. Jolley

For Olivia & Monkey. Liv, may your sense of wonderment and adventure never fade. Monkey, you’ll always be my very best boy.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 1

Alison Liv Isner carefully sorted through heavy, rolled-up parchment maps at her dad’s archeological store. She thumbed through exactly six before she found the two she was after.

How have your archery lessons been? her dad asked, from behind the bulky green register.

Fine, Ali said. She tucked the maps under her arm and started toward the backroom. I’m glad I didn’t quit after I got my gold feather.

Your instructor said you’re hitting moving targets far better than he expected.

Really? Ali asked. He said if I keep it up, I’ll be as good as Mom was.

Is that so?

Yes! Ali said. Dad, did Mom ever talk to you about her expedition friends?

Eloise had a lot of friends. His voice caught in a hitch.

Ali cringed. Six years after her mom’s untimely passing, her dad still couldn’t talk about her. But curiosity got the better of Ali, and she couldn’t resist. Sorry. Maybe one day you can tell me more about her?

I will. I promise you, I will, he said. You will know your mom.

He walked over to the maps Ali had rummaged through and grabbed a smaller one and placed it on the wooden counter, next to the till. The front doorbell jingled as a customer walked in. Ali knew what that meant. Go to the back, stay out of sight. She started toward their makeshift living space in the storage room, then her dad called out to her.

Ali, put this away when you’re done with the others.

Yes, sir, Ali said. She collected the map from the counter and added it to the collection under her arm.

Hey squirt, Tommy, the only employee of Field and Excavation Inc., said. What are you doing with all those?

Uh, nothing. Ali twisted her long braid on her left side. My dad might need you. A customer just walked in.

I heard the bell. Tommy grinned. You sure have been acting weird lately.

You only think that because you’re sixteen. I bet you were weirder than me when you were eleven.

Tommy tilted his head to the side, squinted his eyes, and said, I guess that’s true. Well, I better see if Mr. Isner needs me.

Ali walked quickly to the Persian rug in the storage room and plopped down. She’d waited over a month for a new adventure. Every day she’d sit on the carpet, read her mom’s journal, and spin the globe, just like she’d done the times before. But so far, nothing had worked.

Unrolling the first map, she smiled to herself. Honduras—the first expedition where she’d met her mom’s friends. My friends too, she whispered. She unrolled the second one, Egypt. Butterflies danced in her stomach. She traced the outline of it, remembering how the borders of the country had smoked and singed when it was time for the adventure. Her mom’s journal had guided her and challenged her strength. The pages were wavy from being waterlogged. She smoothed them and smiled, thinking of how brave she and her friends had been, then tucked it in her back pocket.

She stood, walked to her cot, and pulled out a jewelry box from underneath. Inside was a small piece of rock that had crumbled away from the monkey idol. Next to it was a ruby from the headdress of the Pharaoh Zicobus. She let the cool gemstone roll around inside her closed fist—a small fortune that Ali had kept to herself. She’d have a hard time explaining how she’d acquired it.

Ugh, Ali said, placing the jewel back in the box. She shoved the box back into its hiding spot under her bed. I just wish it were time!

Time for what? Tommy peeked his head in.

Tommy! Ali yelled, startled. You scared me.

Sorry, squirt. If there had been a door, I would have knocked. He pushed back the curtain and walked into the room, arms crossed. What do you wish it were time for?

Um, Thanksgiving. It’s only a week away.

It won’t be much of a Thanksgiving this year.

"Won’t you go