I am eagerly putting the final touches on my coming release, Duty: a Novel of Rhynan. As the details fall into place and the preparations for the release kick into full swing, I will be able to provide much more detail. Oh, the fun I have planned. *big grin* For now, I shall have to be content with sharing the front cover and an excerpt as the weekly Sweet Saturday Sample.
~~~~~
"The red one is mine," he said.
I didn’t raise my head although instinct urged me to.
Father had called me Red. He said I was born screaming, skin deep red like the
beets in the garden and hair fiery like the setting sun. The man who spoke was
not my father.
I glanced at him from beneath my cloak’s hood. Arrogant
in his size and superior mass, his eyes picked me out of the writhing mass of
captives. Early morning sunlight glinted off plain armor and an unadorned helm,
yet the unwashed barbarians treated him with the respect due a commander.
The crowd of women around me parted for the soldier
fulfilling his order. Mothers moved back with babes in their arms, toddlers
clinging to their skirts. Their fingers clutched older children’s hands or
shoulders. A living mass, their voices silenced by the army surrounding them.
Their faces spoke eloquently of their fear.
The soldier, smelling of sweat and sour wine, grabbed
my left arm and dragged me out from among them. I didn’t want to bring harm to
the women around me. The soldier would injure many before subduing me. I
allowed him to pull me toward the commander with only minimal resistance.
Once free of the captives, however, I yanked from the
man’s grip in an attempt to run. Three pairs of rough hands caught hold of my
arms before I managed more than a few steps. The stench of their unclean bodies
turned my stomach. I gagged as I fought them. They dragged me through the dust
and dumped me at his feet.
I struggled up only to be brought down again. Pressure
behind my knees forced me to kneel.
I lifted my face to glare at the commander.
“Remove her hood.”
Someone pulled my cloak half off my shoulders in his
enthusiasm. Red curls fell free in a wild mass about my shoulders.
Silently I cursed the color. If only I had been
blessed with plain brown or even blond tresses, I could have hidden in plain
sight.
“My Lady Brielle Solarius, I presume.”
He had the audacity to meet my glare. His eyes were
only glimmers beneath the beaten metal and leather of his helmet. He made no bow
or any show of the honor due me. I was a noblewoman. I didn’t claim the right
of deference often, but still the fact remained.
“Might I know your name, barbarian?”
~~~~~
Would the cover catch your eye on a bookstore shelf or Amazon's website?
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2 comments:
What a nice excerpt! This young lady has a spirit to match her red hair. I love the new cover too. I'll be watching for the release.
Thank you so much Elaine! Brielle definitely has spunk. :)
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