So this past week I had a new short story published in an anthology…it’s only 1500 words so I can’t excerpt too much for you but here are eight sentences (and I did another quick excerpt on Valentine’s Day here). My heroine works in a museum and has a crush on an extremely handsome Egyptian warrior, the only problem being he’s a 4000 year old statue:
“Good night, warrior,” she murmured. It was time to go home to her lonely apartment and her microwave dinner. Nursing her elderly, widowed mother through her final illness had drained her savings and cost her a place in the Egyptology PhD track but at least she still had the museum job.
As she entered the foyer of the Egyptian Treasures wing, a shiny dime winked at her from the floor. Chuckling at the sheer whimsy of the idea, Sara snagged the coin and made a wish–Someday I want to know more about that statue– before pitching the money into the fund-raising Fountain of Isis.
Crack! Sara flinched as a rapid series of bangs echoed through the marble pillars, accompanied by screams. Gunshots?
I love and appreciate your comments and feedback every Sunday! Please go here to find all the other Weekend Writing Warriors and read a variety of excerpts…
Here’s the pretty cover for our Los Angeles Romance Authors (LARA) anthology, FIVE MINUTE LOVE STORIES, just out this week, with 21 other short stories besides “My Lady of Dreams.”
The amount of setup you’ve done in these few sentences is amazing. I hope the noise is what I think it is (though I’d certainly share her initial thoughts … yikes!) ;c)
Hope she gets her wish!
How exciting! Great premise, Veronica, and congratulations on another publication.
What fun! I’m going to pick this one up for sure.
Fabulous snippet. Very exciting and quite scary. Love it. 😳
Wonderful and exciting snippet. Pulled me in and now I want to see what happens next. 🙂
Bet I know what that noise was. I hope he’s everything she thought he might be.
I love this kind of story. Great extract!
Oh my gosh, I LOVE the premise of this story! So excited to see where it goes. I wrote a story set in a museum too, only mine was an…um, penis museum. *nods* They really exist, ya know. There’s one in Iceland. I had fun researching that one, let me tell you. lol
Great anticipation! She’s apparently in for some life altering stuff. Terrific story, Veronica!
I sense foreboding OR an Egyptian comes to life??????? Imagination gone wild here and that’s a good thing. Thanks.
Wow! I want to read this story! When I was a little girl, I wanted to be an Egyptologist–I read everything I could about Carter and the King Tut find. Haunted me for years! Thanks!
Oooh, I love stories like this! Makes me think of a Karen Marie Moning novel: The Highlander’s Touch.
It’s Scotland rather than Egypt, but lots of similarities otherwise. I’d keep reading this for sure 🙂
I agree. I love stories like this. You’ve got me hanging on the edge of my seat. I’m dying for more! Terrific snippet!
I’m hooked! Great descriptions! I love shorts and I love the premise for this book! Congrats! 🙂
I hope it’s the statue coming to life and not actual gunshots. I’d ask who would shoot up a museum, but I’m not sure I want to know the answer. Awesome eight, Veronica!
P.S. I love the fundraising fountain of Isis! Fantastic touch!
*I’d* make a wish there LOL!
I’m hoping it’s her wish coming true and not gunshots. Love the setting, as I’m an ancient history buff. Great excerpt!
Clever premise for a story! I liked it. And congrats on the publication.
Oh my, what’s happening? Intense snippet.
What a wonderful snippet Veronica. So many emotions in so few words. Great job!
I love the premise of this story. Congrats on the antho!
Terrific set up and even better turn on that dime. You’ve got me on the edge of my seat, Veronica. 😀
Love the sound effect! i can’t wait to see what happens if/when she turns around!
I wanted more, but you have a bad link on the anthology.
Ooh, thanks for catching that – sorry, it worked last night but I’ve redone the link now 🙂
Don’t think it was a gunshot…think a few sarcophagus fell over (LOL). Good way to end it, want to know what the noise is.
Good theory LOL…but no.
Wow! I definitely want to read more.
I sense time travel here. And by the way – Egyptian men have long eye lashes (I just visited) and a film the maiden hiest is about security guards in a museum falling in love with paintings – so this is very plausable 😀
GUNSHOTS? In a museum?! Okay, now I want to know sooo much more. Nicely done, Veronica. 😀
I’m so impressed with how deep you got me into this story in just eight. Well done. Congrats on the anthology.
Great snippet! I love the way it suddenly changes from the ‘ordinary’ to something dramatic!
Very intriguing. I wonder if her wish will come true and what those gunshots are? Two hooks in only eight sentences is a real achievement!
Great 8!! Wishes are powerful things and I love Egypt! I also love your main character’s name 😉
LOL, I do love that name, always have 🙂
Really appreciating all the comments – thank you everyone for stopping by! I have to say it was a fun challenge to get a story down in 1500 words…used to having 60,000-80,000 to play with.
Oh, very intense snippet here. And in love with a 4000 year old warrior – I see a bumpy road ahead…
LOVE this! What an interesting and fun premise!
Sold! lol, your snippet was enough of a tease that I just downloaded the Five Minute Love Stories 🙂 Great job 🙂
Oh thank you very much! I hope you’ll enjoy all of the stories….we have quite a diverse group of authors for sure!
What the what?? What’s happening?? So many threads hanging…must know more… Great 8!
I love the museum setting. Sometimes statues give you more than reality. I’m wondering if there is a connection with the coin landing in the Isis fountain? I’m on edge for the next part. Teresa had a good idea to download.
Great snippet! I love your stories and can’t wait to read this one.
Was the dime face up?
Pop, bang, boom, bam — there’s a reason why you chose “bang.”
Could it really be a gun shot?
Will be interesting to see…
Sounds like she’s about to get her wish! Perhaps the statue’s come to life? Love this premise! Great 8!
You managed to fit a lot of back story into those 8 sentences. I expect that this story might prove the old adage… be careful what you wish for. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, yup that was about the only place in the whole 1500 words I could put ANY backstory and believe me they tried three times to edit it out but I wanted at least a *little* insight as to how she got where she was.
Very intriguing setup! It sounds like a great premise for a story.
The original photo of the actual statue was so compelling to me, I had to write some story about him. Thank you!
Lady of Dreams was one of my favorite stories in the anthology. Well done, Ms. Scott.
I love the Egyptian theme in your work – I don’t know where you find the time to write AND do research.
What a fun concept and great snippet full of information!
Love this!! How could you stop there?? I’m going to have to read more of this!