Saturday, January 31, 2015

Official Announcement: Release Date

I would like to make the following announcement. On April 17th, 2015, I will be releasing my next novel, Kas. It will be available as both an ebook and paperback title. Details will follows as the time gets closer, but I wanted everyone to know.


As I am working on the cover, and final edits, I can't say that what I'm about to post will be exactly as it appears in the book, but I would like to share a snippet with you. Here it is:

 

Late one afternoon, I was gathering up a handpicked bouquet of wild flowers. I felt the grasses brush against my ankles as I walked towards the opening in the trees. It had become as much a comforting thing for me as anything growing up had been. I wasn’t paying attention to what was in front of me. My feet knew the path without me having to look. But this time around, there was something there.
I stopped short, a shadow meeting me halfway through the break. The flowers slipped from my limp fingers, landing on top of each other like pick-up sticks. It was strange to think of such an image, like it belonged to a fairytale or some other story. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the path ahead of me, or, rather, the strange man who stood there.
He was tall, five or so inches taller than me, and slender but well built. He had the kind of shoulders a girl could cry on. His light reddish hair moved in the breeze in an almost mesmerizing way. But it was his eyes that held my attention. They were deep eyes, green and perfect, with little flecks of dark amber. A girl could drown in those eyes.
He wore a tunic-like shirt over dark breeches, also green. He had a cap on his head with an emerald-green feather sticking out from the side, like a hatpin. He reminded me of the pictured I’d seen back at the castle, the Robin Hood picture I noticed my first night there. The eyes were similar, but more alive.
He looked just as surprised as I felt, staring with uncertainty in my direction. Then he swept a low but graceful bow, sweeping off his cap as he did so. The long feather stirred the grasses but didn’t fall out. The next moment he was by my side, gathering my fallen flowers and handing them to me. An almost shy smile touched his lips. I took the flowers without thinking, unable to break my gaze from his face.
“Please, pardon my intrusion,” he said with a voice that ran like bells, tenor bells. “I did not expect anyone to be here.” I blinked a few times. I tried to remember how to breathe again as I turned to put the flowers between the loops of the reins, hoping they wouldn’t fall again. Part of me didn't know if I cared. He'd help me pick them up again, I was sure.
It registered in my mind that it was possible he’d known about this place long before I had. A sense of sadness washed over me, knowing that the one place where I’d felt like I belonged wasn’t really my own. I grabbed onto the edge of the saddle and closed my eyes. I turned my face toward the hardened leather and tried to will the sudden pain away. I felt unsteady on my feet.
“Are you all right?” He placed a hesitant hand on my shoulder. It was clear that he didn’t understand. How could he? “Are you… unwell?” I could feel that he was uncomfortable, or was it concern? I couldn’t tell for sure. His hand was gentle and warm.
“I’m fine,” I said and opened my eyes with a sigh, relaxing my grip on the saddle but not trusting myself enough to let go yet. My voice lashed out faster than I’d intended, even though it was nothing compared to the tone I might have used a month ago.
He removed his hand, even if it was slowly. I could tell I’d hurt him somehow and was sorry. I took a deep breath and let goof the saddle, leaning against Beauty’s flank as I turned, eyes downcast. “Forgive me,” I said. “I didn’t mean to be sharp. You just surprised me and I’m not used to having others around much.”

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