I’m continuing this week with Sleeping Shaman, which is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty that just released this week!
Protagonist Nyah has taken a job as a maid and is so preoccupied with how she and her sick sister will make ends meet, that she ends up throwing a bucket of water on Domhnall, a man she traveled with in book 1 when she was with the barbarians. He invited her and her sister to dinner, and then she found out that he’s an earl and one of the most powerful people in the country.
We’re skipping ahead just a bit to after dinner. Nyah and Domhnall are taking a walk through his gardens.
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“You look beautiful tonight, m’lady,” he said.
I hoped it was dark enough that he couldn’t see my burning cheeks. “Thank you for sending the clothing. We dinnae have much finery.”
“It’s not just the dress.” He stopped and turned towards me, taking my hands in his.
I narrowed my eyes. The last time he’d taken me aside like this, it was to persuade me to help him and Brand convince local village councils to help them raise an army for King Anslec, and he’d led me to believe I’d be given my freedom in exchange for my cooperation. It hadn’t been the case. I wasn’t sure what his motives were this time, and I wouldn’t let myself be deceived so easily.
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And the rest of this scene:
“Why dinnae you tell me you’re an earl?” I asked to break the moment.
“A title shouldn’t define a man. Would you have treated me differently, had you known?”
“Brandulfur is a prince, and I treat him like I would anyone else.”
“You’re a rare one, Nyah, who sees past people’s stations to the person underneath.”
I shrugged, unsure of what to say. I’d been raised on stories of rags-to-riches heroes, in a village where the hereditary leader was barely competent. In my experience, a person’s station had little bearing on who they were or what they could become.
Domhnall was watching me intently. I looked up at him, into his hazel eyes.
“May I kiss you?” he asked softly.
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About Sleeping Shaman, available now at Amazon:
The desert holds many secrets. Will death be one of them?
Nyah thought she’d fit in better in the capital rather than in her tiny village, but life in the big city is tougher than she anticipated. When she stumbles across a familiar face, she gladly jumps at the chance for a new adventure with her barbarian friends. They’re headed to Egwu’s home country where they hope his scholar father can translate Heartsbane, the book that holds the cure for Prince Brandulfur’s debilitating curse.
Their plans change as soon as they arrive and discover that Egwu’s family is missing, most likely cursed as well. And meanwhile time is running out for Brand, who grows weaker every day.
Nyah vows to save her friend by solving the mystery of Egwu’s missing family, but she didn’t anticipate all the obstacles in her way: a deadly rivalry between two families, a clash of powerful cultures, and a budding romance that seems destined for heartbreak. She’ll need all her wits to outsmart her opponent—that is, if she can even figure out who it is.
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Heartsbane Saga – fairy tales retold in a world of Vikings!
Book .5: “The Maiden in the Tower” – Carys has resigned herself to a life of servitude, locked away in a tower, until a chance encounter with a stranger leaves her daring to hope for more.
Book 1: Captive and the Cursed – When Nyah’s sister is kidnapped by barbarians, Nyah offers herself in her place. But she soon learns the barbarians aren’t what she expected, especially their cursed leader.
Book 1.5: “The Brave Little Thrall” – Fahim Al Rasheed has spent his life studying foreign cultures, but he never thought he’d actually have the chance to visit them. When his journey of a lifetime leaves him and a young barbarian king marooned in a hostile country, he’ll have to rely on more than book learning to make it back home alive.
Well that’s quite the way to leave us on a cliffhanger! I wonder if she’ll trust him with a kiss.
No. No.. No. You can’t just leave us there. Does she say yes or no!!!!
Tweeted.
I adore a smart heroine . . . and apparently, so does he!!
Ah – does he have to ask?
‘Knowing’ her, she might just say no LOL! Enjoyed the snippet, can’t wait for more…
“May I kiss you?” Now that’s a loaded question if ever I heard one! It takes your story in a totally different direction.
Well, her noticing the color of his eyes shows an interest. Will she allow it?
Oooh, what will she say? She’s a complicated enough character that I’m not sure. (PS I hope she says yes!)
“In my experience, a person’s station had little bearing on who they were or what they could become.”
True. In my experience, there are many poor people who carry themselves with grace and are very generous and many rich people who are the worst of boors. Case in point, the disgraced pResident who is refusing to vacate the White House.
Nice cliffhanger. I can’t begin to guess what her answer is. I mean, he deceived her once, so will she trust him now??? Nice hook!
Happy New Year! I hope 2021 brings good things to you!