Teaser #1

As Qeya is about to be published…(if you were misguided by my website, I take total blame. I’m terrible at predicting deadlines!)…I thought it would be fun to post a few teaser trailers of my favorite scenes.

If you’ve checked out my site lately, there’s a huge blurb/page about the Heaven’s Edge series I’m working on. The awesome thing about this new edition that’s about to come out is that it’s going from a fifty-something page novella to a ninety-something page! Crazy what happens when you find the right editor! 🙂 (thanks Jess!)

So without further adieu, here’s my fav “scene” part 1:

Hands braced out to the walls on either side of my small frame as I tried to watch my step and keep balance. Mother continually agonized over my imperfections. For our people, I was not nearly tall enough, more hardened curves than slender grace. My features were not common to the southern islands either, too much like my great-mother’s northwestern blood. There in the coldest waters, our distant relatives lived by the old ways still. Because of her, my skin was pale, my hair a bright and deep bloody red instead of black or gold or white. Born into a position that demanded much attention as it was, it did not help matters that I couldn’t blend in with the crowd even if I’d wanted to.

For what happened next, I blame on said genetics.

A figure reached from the shadows behind, dragged me backwards and against a taller muscle-hardened frame. I struggled, reaching desperately for the retractable scythe hiding in my belt. As if he already knew my weaknesses, he pinned me so I was half-molded into him and the nearest wall. It hurt.

After waiting a few tense moments for me to calm down, he rasped against my ear. “Took you long enough to get down here. Wondered how long you’d need to workup the nerve.” And even though I had only heard his voice from a distance once before and speaking in a different tongue, I knew instantly that the miner had found me first.

“Think you have more nerve, do you? So important you are, helping your friend show the royals who’s in charge, huh?” I pressed him because I was uncomfortable, angry at being caught and excited beyond all account. After all, this was the most stirringevent to have happened to me since the last pirate ship we crossed.

Instead of backing off the younger miner held me even tighter. “That’s right. Since none of you show any sense.”

“Is this really necessary?” I tried to wedge some space between us with my elbow.

He laughed with low disdain. “Bothers you to be held by a filthy miner, doesn’t it?”

Ignoring him I tried a different approach and relaxed my muscles. “Not as much as it bothers me that you just grabbed me without even trying to warn me first. If you’re trying to undo ages of prejudice, maybe you should start by acting civil.”

Hope you enjoyed the first teaser! I’ll be posting more to come 🙂

Jenn