Release Day and Excerpt: The Trouble with Antlers by A.J. Culey

Happy release day to this first installment of A. J. Culey's Shifter High series! Enjoy an excerpt of this zany teen adventure.

A.J. Culey was not born a shifter, much to her dismay.  Despite her limitations as a human, she enjoys spending time with cats, bunnies and other animals. She hasn’t met a shifter yet, nor has she had any antlers spontaneously appear in any classroom she’s taught in, but she hasn’t given up hope that it might one day happen. In the meantime, she has fun writing about the possibilities.

Now Available on Amazon

In a high school full of shifters, it's the one inquisitive human who poses the biggest threat.

When a human is the only applicant for town veterinarian and moves to Shifterville with his teenaged daughter, Amelia, the town residents conspire to keep the humans in their midst from discovering their secret. If only they can keep Melvin away from Amelia.

Melvin Moose has a problem. Anytime a girl gets too close, his antlers go on walkabout, popping out of his human head at the most inopportune moments. As if that weren’t bad enough, a human girl just enrolled at his school, and if she catches sight of his unruly rack, it’s all over for Shifterville.

Warning: This book contains typical teen language, which does include the occasional swear word. It is also full of rampant, teen hormones and the subsequent fallout.

Excerpt from The Trouble with Antlers (a.k.a. Melvin’s Rampant Rack)

Melvin was late for gym class. Again. Life kind of sucked lately.  Ever since he hit puberty and his antlers grew in, they were a huge load to bear.  Literally.  They’d already popped out twice this morning, once when Laney Queen-of-the-Universe Siamese gave him that haughty look and tossed her hair over her shoulders. 

It wasn’t his fault! Her silky hair brushed his nose and he got a headful of heady girl-cat scent and out they sprang. 

Boing! 

All the kids in the hallway laughed (except the two he knocked down with his headful of dorkiness… and the other two kids he flattened when his antlers pulled him to the ground in an amazing feat of gravity working against him).

The second time was when sweet, little Kelly Mole blinked up at him from her book as he walked by her in English class.  She was a naked mole rat for heaven’s sake, but did his antlers care?  Of course not!  They were moose antlers and they sensed girl and that was all it took.

Mrs. Saber snarled at him to get his rack under control and that sent the entire room into gales of laughter. 

It had taken him ten minutes in the bathroom to will those antlers into submission and now he was late for gym, where he’d be forced to dress out in fur, thus giving those antlers free reign again. 

Barreling down the hall, internally ranting at the horrors of his antlerhood, Melvin never even scented the new girl, the human, coming around the corner.

Every single adult in school had taken the time to lecture him about avoiding the new girl. One glimpse of his antlers and the secret of their shifter town, a secret their town had guarded for centuries, was toast.  But he wasn’t thinking about that.  He was worried about being late and cursing his antlers as he barreled around the corner. 

He caught a glimpse of bright blue eyes and then their bodies slammed together in a tangle of arms and legs.  He reflexively caught her in his arms, her scent barreled over him and BAM!  Out sprang the antlers from hell. 

The only good news? 

They knocked New Girl out with one blow, sending her unconscious to the floor, possibly ensuring she never knew what hit her, possibly ensuring the town’s secret was safe. 

Check out A.J. Culey's writing at her website. Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Awash in Talent

by Jessica Knauss

Giveaway ends June 30, 2016.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Cover Reveal and the Beginnings of My YA Paranormal Adventure Set in Providence

It's the book with telekinesis, pyrokinesis, and psychic powers. Just as importantly, it's the novel with a field study in Ethiopia, a snowy trip to Boston, and the wonders of Waterfire in inimitable Providence, Rhode Island. It's Awash in Talent, and it's nearly ready to knock your literary socks off!

The amazing cover was created by Jasmine Green. It captures the female focus of the book and the way their Talents can make the characters feel, at the same time, invincible and about to drown.

I'm sharing the cover with you on the auspicious occasion of the beginning of Awash in Talent's Kindle Scout campaign. This is your opportunity to select Awash in Talent for publication by Kindle Press!

The link takes you a rather attractive page with the cover, the tag line (So much Talent can kill you.), an excerpt from the beginning through most of Chapter 2, a short bio, and three questions and answers about the book. It also shows a "Nominate" button. If you think Awash in Talent is worthy, all you have to do is click the "Nominate" button before February 29 (Leap Year Day!).

This simple act will get you three major benefits:

1. If Awash in Talent is chosen for publication (because you nominated it!), you will receive an exclusive edition of the novel for free before anyone can buy it! You'll be under no obligation to read it or to leave a review, although that's what Amazon (and I) will be hoping for.

2. You will have helped an author's dreams come true. How great will that feel?

3. You will be the proud owner of my gratitude. I will remember you when my writing career takes off. The value of this benefit is incalculable.

Here's a little more about the novel. At the link, you can also read an excerpt that introduces Emily's world. More beautiful graphics and descriptions are to come in the following weeks.

Emily can’t escape her annoyingly Talented telekinetic healer sister by going to a university 3000 miles away, in Providence, or even by doing a field study in Ethiopia. Why don’t people give credit where credit is due?

Kelly is forced to attend a pyrokinesis school/lockdown facility, but she must escape and bring Emily’s healer sister to Boston—her mother’s life depends on it.

Appointments with Emily might drive psychic therapist Patricia insane. Meanwhile, Patricia falls ever deeper into her husband’s selfish, cruel trap. In Providence, Friendship is a one-way street.

Awash in Talent is a novel in three interrelated novellas, all set in Providence, Rhode Island, where telekinetics, firestarters, and psychics attempt to function in a largely un-Talented society unappreciative of what they have to offer. Love/hate between sisters, mother and daughter, scared teenagers, a mismatched married couple, adult female friends, and an obsessive and the object of her affection are all put to the test.

The Kindle Scout campaign runs from now until midnight EST February 29. It's easy—just one click brings so much joy! Thank you so much for your consideration.

Unpredictable Worlds—The Stories Are Almost Here!

Friday is the day! Unpredictable Worlds releases for your reading pleasure! I've been taking something of a tour of some wonderful blogs in honor of this exciting time.

Jody A. Kessler has already featured Unpredictable Worlds on her blog, saying it "sounds incredibly entertaining." There you'll find an excerpt of the prize-winning story "Stairs to the Beach."

Monday, I'm at author Tina Traverse's blog.

Author Maer Wilson is hosting me on Tuesday.

I'm stopping by author Jae Blakney's blog with a great interview with my friend and fellow author Seymour Hamilton on Wednesday.

Thursday, with the pre-release excitement mounting, I'll be traveling Steven Ramírez's Glass Highway with an excerpt from my favorite thus-far unpublished story. Unpredictable Worlds will be featured on the site all month!

Friday, May 15 is release day! Please check out the fantastic interview author Kristin Gleeson did with me at her blog on that day.

Sincere thanks to all these authors for hosting me.

You still have time to get Unpredictable Worlds at the never-again bargain price of 99 cents here. Pre-order and receive the book for the lowest price, before anyone else, on release day.

The softcover edition is already available. Affordable, nicely designed, and chock-full of astonishing stories. Order it here or from Amazon, or request it at your favorite bookstore or library.

Thanks for sharing the excitement!

Summer's Growth - @AuthorTinaGayle Featured in the #EggcerptExchange

"Summer's Growth." - part of the Eggcerpt Exchange fun.


Blurb 
 

In the spirit-haunted Winston estate in Ohio, rooted in time and occupied by the lingering ghosts of a great family, the torch is about to pass...

 

Mattie Winston, sober, sensible, and steady, has served as Keeper to the family for decades. Amber Harrison, hovering on the edge of flunking out of college, unsure what she wants out of life, has barely even heard of the Winston estate. The family, however, has decided that it's time for the changing of the guard. These two exceptional women soon find themselves dealing with violence, murder attempts, and old family mysteries while each finding the love of her life. Two romances and a growing friendship, all twined around a brooding family tragedy, make for an outstanding paranormal mystery offering depth and charm beyond the commonplace. The growing love of Amber and Carter and of Mattie and Quincy offer readers a tender and engaging first novel in a winning new paranormal series.

 

Now the eggcerpt:

“Trust us child to find a soul who will honor your position. Nothing will remove your fears until you can reclaim your life’s mission and enjoy the rest of your days on earth.”

 “But what if Amber doesn’t like it here? She’s a young college student from sunny California. Why would she move to Ohio where it’s cold? Even in the summer, we don’t have beautiful weather. The rain can last for days.”

 “There is no dispute,” Jonathan growled. “Amber is a Winston. She longs to live here.”

  “But you don’t get it. There’s no guarantee. Josh has lived here all his life. He’ll do a good job.” Mattie wished Jonathan could see her point. Things might not turn out like he’d planned.

“Besides Cynthia will be deeply hurt when she finds out everything is under the control of a stranger instead of her son. She won’t understand.”

 “The Council’s point exactly. Cynthia cares only for gold, not for others. It’s best for the family to have someone else as the keeper.”

  The havoc this decision would cause in Mattie’s life washed bitter bile through her mouth. She swallowed, hard. 

Purchase at:

http://www.amazon.com
 

Or read more at http://www.tinagayle.net/SGchapter.html

Find Tina at

http://www.tinagayle.net
www.tinagayle.blogspot.com
@authortinagayle


Thanks for letting me share,


Tina Gayle

Egg-cerpt Exchange: Tina Gayle's Summer's Growth

Today I welcome fantastic author Tina Gayle for the "Egg-cerpt Exchange." Enjoy a snippet from Summer's Growth here, then hop on over to tinagayle.blogspot.com to see an excerpt about talking rhinos from me!

Summer’s Growth is the first book in the “Family Tree” series.

Blurb –

Forced by the family spirits to get a life, Mattie Winston has to train her replacement Amber Harrison to be in charge of all the workings of the Winston estate. Reluctant to make changes in her life, Mattie forms a bond with Amber, when strange accidents start happening which threaten their lives and an unknown ghost makes an appearance.

After being rescued by an old flame, Quincy Miller, Mattie faces old wounds of rejection. As the general contractor for Amber’s redecoration project, Mattie is in constant contact with Quincy and realizes she still in love with her childhood sweetheart.

Amber, learning her new role in the family, wants to discover the identity of the ghost who keeps appearing. After several appearances, Gwen, Amber’s distance grandmother, shifts the book into more of Amber’s struggle to find out why her grandmother disappeared two hundred years ago without a trace. In a fight to claim her position in the family, Amber searches for clues to solve the mystery.

Mattie and Amber are both challenged when the family spirits decides Amber shouldn’t be the keeper. Battling for Amber, Mattie realizes she wants a life with Quincy outside the Winston estate.

Amber realized the importance of her new spiritual family, and she works to discover how Gwen died. 

Can these two women achieve their goals?

Read the first chapter here. 

Find it at Smashwords and Amazon.

Excerpt:

Standing by the bay window in the front room, Mattie watched the car approach. Her new recruit’s arrival had goose bumps popping out on Mattie’s skin, adding to her anxieties.

She wanted to run, but instead glanced at the kindhearted spirit of Opal, her distant grandmother. Dressed in her best early American gown, the many layers of her petticoat swished with a soft hiss when she moved.

“There’s no reason to be nervous. Once you meet Amber, you’ll see she caps the climax,” Opal voiced in a soothing tone. “Your Aunt Rachel is absolutely thrilled to have a descendant from her branch of the family as keeper.”

Looking beyond her at the rest of the room, Mattie searched for the other members of the family council. They always offered her their support when she faced a big decision. Yet, today they were conspicuously absent. 

“Don’t worry. The whole family is behind you. We just thought it better if we didn’t all hover.”     

  

Shifting from foot to foot, she wrung her hands together. A simple process of a changing of the guard for them, Amber’s arrival marked the end of the life Mattie loved. 

The beautiful spirits around her didn’t understand how cruel humans could be to each other. What if she screwed up and the girl left? Or the girl hated living with a house full of spirits?

Unease pricked at Mattie’s mind. She had no experience in dealing with strangers. All her business associates understood her likes and didn’t force her to attend any social events. 

A quick glance out the window, and a car rounded the fountain. She wasn’t prepared to entertain Amber. How could she be? She never invited guests to the estate. 

“Now, Pumpkin, there’s no need to worry. It’s time another branch of the family realize what a pain it is to be keeper.” Opal smiled, offering her special form of reassurance. “We’re all here to help with the transition.” 

The high notes of Beethoven’s Fifth sprang from the piano. Mattie jumped in surprise at the sudden noise. She whipped around to see Uncle Samuel, the artist of the family, standing next to the piano. 

“The game is afoot.” He arched his eyebrows and grinned, then disappeared.

“I’d better leave.” Her aunt patted Mattie’s shoulder. “Just remember, the girl is uneasy too.” 

Opal disappeared.

With a deep breath, Mattie turned and gripped the cold metal knob in her hand.

Soon her home would belong to a stranger, and then what would she do?

Find Tina Gayle everywhere:

Home - www.tinagayle.net

Blog - www.tinagayle.blogspot.com

Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorTinaGayle

Goodread - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1641826.Tina_Gayle

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/tina.gayle

Google + - https://plus.google.com

Linkin - http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tina-gayle/11/689/759

Tina's hosting me today, with rhinos!

Interview and Excerpt, No Turning Back

Today I'm appearing in an interview about No Turning Back at Marta Merajver's Corner. And don't miss the accompanying excerpt on her blog -- all of Chapter 6! That chapter was one of the most harrowing to translate. It really shows what was at stake for political prisoners in Spain in the '70's. It's just one of the factors that make this book unforgettable for me. Enjoy!

Second Historical Fiction Blog Hop!

Another medieval rabbit for a historical hop. This one is too weird to pass up!

The basic rules for participation in this new hop are in a previous post.

The six exclusive, excellent excerpts for our first Backward in Time Hop are at the following links:

Jessica Knauss - The Seven Noble Knights of Lara

In a Milk and Honeyed Land

Misfits and Heroes

Ascroft, eh?

Jenna Jaxon

Tree Soldier

A million thanks to all the participants for joining and a billion thanks to all the readers who come here looking to discover new historical fiction authors. Feel free to comment on each post! Share the love!

Last SSS Ever and New Historical Beginnings

A bull-baiting in the Cantigas de Santa Maria (thirteenth century).

For the last Six Sentence Sunday ever, I submit a snippet from Seven Noble Knights showing the medieval version of that most Spanish of pursuits, bullfighting. Lambra and her pals have climbed into a second-floor balcony to gaze into the plaza below. Without all the preceding paragraphs, it might be a little confusing: people are closing off the plaza with stacks of timber so the bull will have no means of escape, creating a bullring.

Be sure to check out all the excerpts here, for the last time!

* * *

She hardly had time to ask, “When does it start?” before the last downstairs door was barred and the beast lumbered into the plaza ahead of a couple of boys waving sticks and shouting as they herded it. They dropped the sticks and helped several other men close the fourth timber stack as if it were a door, and the bull was isolated. His black mass heaved mighty breaths and his horns looked so sharp they almost cut the air while he tossed his head and pawed at the ground. Doña Lambra looked deep into his eyes. “Oh, Justa, oh, Álvar! Have you ever seen such an enormous bull?”

* * *

Thank you, readers and participants, for making Six Sentence Sunday such a roaring success, and thank you for stopping by my blog in particular. I wish all the best for SSS's founders.

As for new beginnings: a new blog hop of short excerpts, just for historical fiction, will commence with signups this week! We'll call it The Backward in Time Blog Hop -- or something better.

Check back on Thursday for the complete rules and to sign up! I have a short roster of great authors already, and I'm not afraid to chase you down!

SSS and Call For Historical Authors

Welcome to one of the final Six Sentence Sundays! Please visit the official site for more wonderful snippets than you can handle.

I've been sharing bits from my medieval epic, The Seven Noble Knights of Lara. Six revised sentences from the very important chapter where everything starts to go to hell are below. There was a lot of concern over the horse portions. Please tell me if this is any more realistic than before (first draft here). And keep reading after the snippet for an idea for all my historical novelist pals!

* * *

Gonzalo drove his fist into Don Álvar’s face so hard that he collapsed at the feet of his horse, which reared with an almost human shriek. With nowhere else to land in the crush of people, its sharp hooves came down on its rider’s flesh. It reared again and again in terror and confusion as knights and pages darted under it, trying to pull Don Álvar to safety. Finally Muño Salido seized the reins and led the horse, still kicking, away. Don Álvar’s teeth bounced and rolled on the soft earth or landed on people’s pointed shoes like fallen pebbles. Shining blood sprouted from his body and raced outward, covering the ground with a steaming red plague.
 

* * *

Now that the official SSS is nearly over, I've been wondering if it would be a good idea to start a new, more specialized blog hop, for those authors in the audience who write historical fiction. Historical would be defined as fiction that takes place in a time before the author was born. Would you hystericals -- I mean, historicals -- like to hop around the centuries and share short excerpts of your work? Please comment below if you're interested in participating, and I'll ask around, too. Results of this question and full details will appear next Sunday.

Thanks for stopping by! Thanks for Six Sentence Sunday! And thanks for your comments and ideas!

SSS: A New Fiancé

The cover of the program of an academic congress about the medieval epic poem upon which The Seven Noble Knights of Lara is based.

For today's excerpt of my revisions of The Seven Noble Knights of Lara, I thought I'd do something new and give you a dialogue-heavy snippet. It's still the first chapter, and the Count of Castile, Doña Lambra's cousin, has come to tell her he's going to marry her off to his most valuable vassal. She is none too pleased.

* * *

“He’s completed his thirty-fifth year.”

She couldn’t help but wring her hands at the thought of a grey beard and broken teeth, worms sprouting out of every orifice. Maybe he wouldn’t live that long, then she would administer all the territory they had between them.

“Is he landed?”

“He has a few parcels in the region of Lara, called Vilviestre.”

“A few parcels?”

* * *

That's not the last piece of her mind she's going to give him!

Thanks so much stopping by! I trade comments for comments! Get a lot more wonderful excerpts today at SixSunday.com.

Six Sentence Sunday: Beginnings

For my little contribution to the farewell of Six Sentence Sunday (click on that for a lot of other great excerpts!), I thought I'd share some of the revisions I'm working on for The Seven Noble Knights of Lara. It can still be improved, I'm sure!

These are now the first six sentences of the novel. Do they grab your attention, or are they too calm?

* * *

           The sun began to relent from its long day's punishment of Busto de Bureba. The fish in the river sought out the barely forming shadows cast by rocks and branches. Inside a stone house, under a thatched roof, twenty maidservants and their lady planned a cool evening meal, brought in the washing, and put away the day's sewing without bumping into each other.
           Doña Lambra looked out the open door at the fields where her vassals were setting down their scythes and pitchforks for the day. Most of the serfs would return to their tiny homes in town, but some of the overseers lived on the estate, and would come to the main hall for supper. If nothing went wrong, in another seven mornings or so, Lambra would have to provide some kind of reward for successful haying, and the laborers would all expect meals at the haystacks in the meantime. 

* * *

Thanks so much for stopping by! I return comments for comments!

SSS: Those Talking Rhinos

Suzanne and Jake on a good day.

This Sunday, I'd like to draw attention to a story I wrote in January of 2011 and haven't been able to publish yet. I would really like people to be able to read this story. Cross your fingers that someone who publishes stories "gets" it soon!

The excerpt is from "Not Extinct Yet." Human researchers Suzanne and Derek are talking with their favorite crash of rhinos about new approaches to the poaching problem. Sasha is the matriarch white rhino and Jake is her young son.

* * * 

“It’s an education program you need,” said Derek.

“Precisely,” agreed Sasha. “Let the consumers know that the product they pay so much for has no real value.”

“Oh!” said Suzanne in the throes of a forming idea. “We need to let them know that rhino horns have no more medicinal value than…”

“Than chewing your own fingernails!” finished Jake. 

* * *

One of the journals I submitted to made the strange assumption that the talking rhinos were stand-ins for some human issue. I'm not trying to be metaphorical, I swear! I gave that up years ago! The rhinos represent rhinos. I wanted to give them a voice, and as an author, it was easy enough to do.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Check out the other great snippets at Six Sentence Sunday. If these rhinos have piqued your interest, please have a look at my review of The Last Rhinos and a suggestion for how you can help if you are so inclined (don't feel obliged).

SSS: Stay in Your Own Bed

Starting up again in The Seven Noble Knights of Lara after last week's segment, there's not much Doña Lambra can do about the midnight disturbance, but she does what she can.

* * *

“Ermenegildo Antolínez, I will not tolerate that kind of mixing in my household,” Lambra said, as gruffly as she could to cover her panic. Which of her ladies had it been? It could have been any of them except Justa, who remained there by her side.

“Did you hear that, everybody? Stay in your own bed,” Ermenegildo called out. He was answered by several guffaws and many exhausted moans. 

* * *

Check out the other wonderful excerpts at sixsunday.com. Thanks for stopping by here and keeping my novel on track!

SSS: Medieval Sleeping Derangements

Last week, a few of you wondered why Lambra woke up so hot in the middle of the night. Although it's September and the weather is moving into autumn, and the fire has gone out, she's just had a disturbing dream about her nephew-in-law Gonzalo with a bizarrely erotic element that I have not included in any snippets because I'd hate to give the wrong impression on my blog. Those tidbits (turn-ons? turn-offs?) are for the readers of the complete book, whenever it comes out.

This snippet from Chapter Six of The Seven Noble Knights of Lara comes right after last week's. I hope you enjoy!

* * * 

They were trying not to wake anyone, but Lambra could tell that the muffled sound was coming from her side of the hall. She turned onto her stomach and faced the spot where she knew the vassal and his wife slept.

“Ermenegildo Antolínez,” Lambra called out into the marred silence. “Someone is on the wrong side of the hall.”

Sounds of shuffling arose from multiple corners as sleepers woke, the couple abruptly stopped their sensuous movements, and Ermenegildo Antolínez fumbled in the dark to light a beeswax candle. In the slow-growing amber flare, Lambra witnessed a bulk scurrying to collapse toward the floor and Gonzalo’s, definitely Gonzalo’s, chest heaving amidst the steady line of his brothers’ even breathing.

* * *

Thanks so much for stopping by! I just love your comments that let me know what you enjoy or don't like as much about each snippet. I always write back. Many and varied clips await you at SixSunday.com.

SSS: Medieval Sleeping Arrangements and Derangements

Last week, we experienced the layout of the crowded hall and got rid of the spiders so we could sleep on our straw pallets. It's not going to be a night of uninterrupted sleep for doña Lambra.

* * * 

Her eyes snapped open into profound blackness. She heard the normal sounds of people breathing around the perimeter of the hall and shifting on top of their crackling straw ticks. A bead of sweat ran over her ear. She felt as if the fireplace she lay next to contained a roaring blaze even though the flame must have died hours before. She threw a blanket off to her side and her nostrils were assaulted with her own scent as she felt where the wispy chainse was stuck to her wet skin.

           Then she heard it: the rhythmic soft moaning of a man and woman. 

* * *

Uh-oh, I don't think the new lady of the manor is going to like that!

Thanks for stopping by! I appreciate your comments so very much and always respond in kind. Check out all the great clips at sixsunday.com.

SSS: Arriving to Play in the Fountain

Imagine this big enough for seven guys to splash in.

I only meant to be away for a month, and now that I'm finally back I find the official Six Sentence Sunday has announced that it will soon come to an end. I've not only got all my stuff but moved across the country, so changes are everywhere.

This segment picks up a bit after the last one. The travelers have come to Barbadillo and Lambra is meeting the head of the estate, Ermenegildo Antolínez:

* * *

He kissed her hand deferentially. “You have my fealty, doña Lambra.”

“Thank you, don Ermenegildo. We’ve come all the way from Burgos. Would you be so kind as to show us where we will be eating and sleeping?”

Before she had finished her last sentence, the seven brothers had abandoned all solemnity and darted to the fountain, where, like dogs, they washed the dust from their faces and drank out of their cupped hands, then splashed each other and made such a noise that the hunting hounds emerged from the hills, barking and howling.

“You would never know that the oldest of them is a score and five years old,” Ermenegildo Antolínez said, waving the rest of the travelers toward the farmhouse. 

* * *

Not to spoil anything, but this is the calm before the storm.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I return all comments as I'm able. 

SSS: Maybe She's Crazy...

I've been participating in Six Sentence Sunday (follow the link for more mind-blowing excerpts) for an entire year. It's done wonders for my blog in ways I never imagined. Thank you to the organizers and the participants!

These six follow on in Chapter Six of The Seven Noble Knights of Lara several pages after last week's. The seven, their mother, and doña Lambra have agreed to travel to Barbadillo, ostensibly to see if there is any good hunting. We're inside Lambra's head, on the road.

* * *

The second day, as they entered narrow passageways between rocky outcrops shaded by pines, the seven brothers surrounded Lambra on their horses as if they were her personal guard. She looked at the wispy brown hairs moving with the breeze on the back of Gonzalo’s neck and imagined using a shining copper razor to get rid of that ridiculous stubble on his chin, holding the smoothed face in her hands, bringing the round red lips toward hers. No: not even finishing the friendly shave before – accidentally, of course – making a sudden strategic slit under his ear, all the way across to the other ear.

She cleared her throat and said loudly for Gonzalo to hear, “Oh, Justa, do you think there are robbers hiding in these hills? It’s doesn’t matter anyway, with my nephews here to protect me.”

Every one of the brothers grinned, baring white teeth, and sat up a little taller in his saddle. 

* * *

Thanks for stopping by! I have eternal gratitude for those who comment!

I may be taking a short hiatus from SSS in the rest of April, for reasons that I hope will be really great. Stay tuned.

SSS: Quick Healers

This is the bird Suero takes with him everywhere. Imagine sitting across the breakfast table from this guy!

We're still with doña Lambra at that breakfast, following last week's post.

* * *

She slid her gaze to Gonzalo’s face and saw that he had healed much more quickly than Ruy Blásquez. Five faint reddish spots were the only reminder of the cut that had made him lose so much blood. Doña Sancha sat next to doña Lambra and looked up at her eagerly. Lambra seized the goblet back from Gonzalo and took another swig.

“Ruy Blásquez must abandon me to my fate. Don’t you leave me, too, dear sister,” she said.

* * *

I think some scheming is taking place...

Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving comments! I appreciate it sooooooo much and will return the favor.

Charmaine Gordon, I always enjoy your snippets, but I just can't comment on your blog. Sorry!

SSS: Desire for the Enemy part 2

We're still in doña Lambra's head. These lines follow directly from last week's.

* * *

That young, sinuous arm pushing the flap open did not belong to her husband. Her eyes snapped open. They alit on Suero, sitting across from his mother, with that ever-present goshawk perched on his specially padded shoulder. He handed bits of bread up to its sharp beak. She wondered at his audacity to carry the bird with him after what it had done to her husband’s face. The count should have had it killed. 

* * *

Thanks so much for stopping by! I appreciate your comments more than I can say. I will definitely return the visit!

Check out all the great sentences at SixSunday.com.

SSS: Self-Control

Not to give too much away, but this is what Lambra would like to do to Gonzalo. 

I had my writing group this week, so I'm really geared up to share The Seven Noble Knights of Lara with all of you. Thanks so much for all the comments over these weeks. I visit everyone whose site I can find!

These lines follow on right after last week's.

* * *

She resolved never to accept the González family as her own. She would regain control of her situation, even if it meant deception. “I accept your apologies and the Count of Castile has arranged for there to be no disputes on either side. You have nothing to worry about from me.” Justa, Gotina, the other maids, and Little Page had come up to stand beside her. She felt comforted to have as many people with her as her sister-in-law. 

* * *

These lines look a little flat right now, but in the context I thought they worked really well -- what do you think? Lambra is all about quiet composure here. The rage is all under the surface... for now.

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