The Drunken Dragon's Tavern Series

Lilly wanted independence and a home of her own, two things the people of her village believed a woman shouldn't have. When her boss staked her out as a virgin sacrifice to an invading dragon, all hope was lost. Then Cyrano the Dragon started a conversation and she formed a plan.     Step one, talk the dragon out of his hoard which proved easy enough since Lilly knew the dragon's weakness: beer.     Step two, create a tavern where the dragon could drink to his hearts content. Again, no problem for a girl with Lilly's smarts.     Step three, getting the inbred, chauvinistic villagers to allow a woman to run a business. This is where things got tricky. Who would have thought her own villagers were more difficult to handle than a drunken dragon? If she succeeded, she could live her life on her own terms. Considering the problems with any new business, (including a dragon slayer, a goblin, a bridge troll and an over-protective unicorn) it was more likely she'd go down the dragon's gullet. If you're looking for a light hearted comedy about an underdog and her collection of monstrous friends, you'll love this book.   Book One of the Drunken Dragon's Tavern Series Approximately 85,000 words

Lilly the Virgin woke to bright light, birdsong and panic. She had a thousand and one things to do today and she overslept. Despite being beautiful, buxom and brainy, her appearance said otherwise. Her hair was a snarled mess that would be the envy of any rat domicile, her clothes were wrinkled and needed a good cleaning, and she was tired so brainy didn't exactly fit. All this played into her enemies hands. Every man in the village wanted her to settle down and be a proper woman. Her wide eyed messy appearance gave them more ammunition to prove a woman couldn't run a business. Never mind she tamed a dragon, a unicorn, a bridge troll and a King's Auditor. It didn't matter what obstacles she overcame, the powers that be refused to acknowledge a woman could accomplish anything outside of a home. Why couldn't the rich and powerful leave her alone? All she wanted was to be left alone to run her tavern. She didn't want to topple the government or make sweeping social changes. Sure, she wore britches instead of skirts, but she was behind a bar most the time and it was so she could move faster and stay dry. Even her friends, or perhaps she should say her allies, didn't understand her. A secret cabal of women convinced her to set in judgment so she could take her rightful place among the secret movers of society. Little did Lilly know they were preparing her for the trials to come. If she knew these trials included a disaster of pixies, a  kidnapped wizard, saying goodbye to an old friend, and being dragged out of her tavern and put on trial for Scott's murder, she might have stayed in bed.  

Love is in the air and Lilly the Virgin is holding her breath. The wedding of the century is only a week away. Except it's Angelet and Derek's wedding and they're just a couple of peasants—how in the world did a peasant wedding turn into a state affair? Rich merchants and the nobility of the realm have invaded Dragon's Landing—for a peasant wedding! What was up with that? And as usual, when the pressure is on, things get weird at the Drunken Dragon's Tavern. Well, weirder.   Wedding guests aren't the only ones showing up. Among the newcomers are a Witch, a gender-swapping Wizardess, a menagerie of unwanted men, and a violence-starved Adventure Party led by the biggest, most handsome, and stupid man Lilly has ever met. The Adventure Party wants to hunt monsters—all of Lilly's best friends. The Wizardess wants a cure to her magical gender change. The men? As far as Lilly can tell, they want to get in her way. At least the Witch is proving useful as a cook.   As if all that isn't enough, bandits, the village elders, and secret cabals are sticking their noses into Lilly's business. Lilly shudders to think what the secret cabals are up to. The village elders want her to "secure her legacy for the sake of the village," whatever that means. But the bandits are the worst of all. They stole all the wedding supplies and with the fate of the wedding hanging in the balance, it's up to Lilly to get them back.   If the wedding happens without a hitch, the reputation of Lilly's tavern and Dragon's Landing will spread across the realm as the place to be. That reputation will lead to wealth which will lead to security for Lilly's monster friends. If she fails, her monster friends will be hunted down for parts to sell to wizards and the village will sink into the worst poverty it's ever known. The stakes are high, but this time it isn't only Lilly's tavern at risk, it's the whole village!