A fun way to sample new books and find new writers! Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…
My new book is still a few days away from being Released, so I thought I’d fill the gap with excerpts from PRIESTESS OF THE NILE, which was my first published work, because the new book is a sequel to PRIESTESS.
You can read the beginning of Chapter One of PRIESTESS here on my website so for the excerpt I’ll go a bit further into the story. Last week, Merys, who has been tending an abandoned temple of the Crocodile God Sobek, didn’t realize she was talking to him (in his human form).
Sobek forms a habit of stopping by the beach in the evenings to chat with Merys. He grows ever more attracted to her, she falls in love with him (of course or there’d be no story)…but she still doesn’t know who he is. Isis intervenes with serious threats….but eventually Sobek can’t resist sneaking back to the beach to catch a glimpse of Merys… “just to hear her sing”.
Merys has been fishing with a net in the Nile shallows when she loses her protective amulet, which unbeknownst to her Sobek had bespelled to keep his crocodiles from attacking her. With it gone, she’s easy prey…last week she was seized by a crocodile…
The bone-crushing force sent a sheet of hot pain up her leg and through her body until adrenaline pulsed in her system.
The beast dragged her under the surface of the Nile, pulling her toward the center of the river. Cold water rushed over her face, into her open mouth. Merys gagged, tried to hold her breath, beating on the animal’s closed jaws with her fists, then trying to jab at the nearest eye. Her stomach heaved, nausea and weakness from the intensity of the pain in her leg spreading outward from her gut.
The crocodile rolled her over and over, tossing her like Tyema’s puppy with a rag doll. Black spots danced before her eyes and she scrunched them tightly closed against the dizziness. What do I do to get away before I drown?
Tyema is her little sister by the way (who will be the heroine of MAGIC OF THE NILE). Next week we’ll see what Sobek does to save the woman he loves. Still working toward the big reveal of his identity…and after that I’ll switch off to excerpts from MAGIC, which will probably be Released with in a week.
As always, I love your comments and feedback. Although this is a published work, the input helps for the future novels…
The story:
Drawn to his abandoned temple on the banks of the Nile by an enchanting song, Sobek the Crocodile god is even more captivated 
by the sight of the singer herself. Appearing to her as a man, he learns she is Merys, a descendant of his last priestess. Though filled with lust, Sobek believes Merys deserves to be more than just his mistress. But the rules that govern the Egyptian pantheon forbid anything beyond a physical joining of a Great One and a human.
Merys is attracted to the handsome stranger, who arouses passions in her that no man ever has. But with no dowry and no hope of ever leaving her village, she dares not dream of the future—or love.
Sobek takes every opportunity to visit Merys, taxing his resolve to leave her pure. And when he saves her life, their mutual desire must be sated. But can a love between a human and an immortal survive the ultimate test of the gods?
Available: Amazon Barnes & Noble Carina Press All Romance
Yikes, this certainly has gone further than I thought it would – I really thought Sobek would stop this attack. Glad to hear that he will be doing something in next week’s snippet. Good 8.
In the part I skipped over, Sobek was on the cliff above, watching Merys sing. and he couldn’t believe the crocodile would dare attack, so he was caught off-guard. But he’s racing to the rescue, believe me.
Yay!!! He better hurry!!
Intense stuff!
Veronica, you could teach a course in writing descriptions. I felt the cold water, pain and fear. Get me out of here.
Argh! How will she escape? Tense and wonderfully graphic snippet!
I’m so nervous. Such great description. The covers are beautiful and you have me SOLD on Ancient Egypt!
Thank you very much for the kind words and now my work is done mwahahahahaha!
Fabulous description – very intense and action-packed. I was holding my breath for her.
The attack was a huge surprise—though I suppose humans occasionally (and sometimes conveniently) forget their religious strictures, too, so how difficult would it be for a hungry crocodile? 😀
Oh, I don’t see how she’s gonna get out of this one! Great descriptions of the pain in her leg. A lot is happening here. Good snippet!
Great scene! You obviously did some research into crocodile behavior because rolling over and over with their prey is what they do. (I used to live in Florida and learned a little about alligators and crocodiles.) I’m looking forward to finding out how she escapes the croc’s jaws.
Ouch! I could feel this. Not a good situation. I wonder…did she ever pause to wonder why she wasn’t troubled by crocodiles (up to now)? Seems that they were an ever-present threat along the Nile.
Yikes! Such wonderful description. You can feel her pain and terror.
Oh gosh! How’s she going to get away? Great action and I can feel her terror.
Things are getting worse for the heroine in the best possible way. Exciting stuff.
I love this snippet! You’re such a tease!! 😀 I love the covers too….they are beautiful. I haven’t found the perfect covers yet, but yours are terrific…
Thank you, the Egyptian ones are done by Frauke at Croco Designs (except for Warrior, which she wasn’t available for but Carina did a great job on that one anyway) and the science fiction covers are from Fiona Jayde. I love both series (can I just say that?)!
the nile is beautiful but wouldn’t want to be drowned in it
(it’s sue from my author site)
Sobek had better do something really dramatic to rescue her in the nick of time!
Dreadful! And we are left hanging all week… Oy! Good, descriptive writing, Veronica. 🙂
He needs to hurry. He’s a god, hope he can heal her.
Great description, and she’s in a pickle now.
That’s quite a horrifying description of the death roll… I can really feel the panic. Don’t know how people can go anywhere near where crocodiles live, but I guess they have no choice.
Your descriptions of her pain are so vivid! I could see this whole thing play out right before my eyes 😀 😀
What a vivid scene! How is she going to get away? Intense!
Now I’ll have to go back to the book to catch Sobek’s reaction.
Oh great scene! I can feel her pain, very intense. Save her Sobek, save her!
The Murders of Polly Frisch
Wow, incredible description!
OMG, I freaking love you! This was absolutely brilliant! Such a terrifying/thrilling/heart-pumping scene! Your creative mind continues to amaze me. Well done! 🙂
Vivid and riveting. Awesome scene.
Eep! Eep! Scared for her!!
What a very dreadful way to die! I love it, I never imagined death by crocodile, I never even though about it until now.
Incredible action scene! It speaks to her strength as a heroine that she fights back after enduring that searing pain.
That is so darn intense. I felt like I was thrashing along in the river with her!