Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…a fun way to sample new books and find new authors! (Also welcome to the Sunday Snippet visitors!)
Since LADY OF THE STAR WIND is still my newest release – and doing quite well, thank you to all the Warriors for your support! – I’ll keep going with this book. Only now let’s give Mark a turn.
Mark and his companions, including the unconscious Sandy, have been rescued by a clan of desert-dwellers. They’ve taken refuge in the underground village to wait out the sandstorm, before attempting to continue their trek to the Lost City. After treating Sandy as best they can for the snakebite, the chief takes Mark to show him something. This scene will take a few weeks to play out, going ten sentences at a time! Edited a bit from the published version.
The chief led Mark into a large chamber filled floor to ceiling with shelves holding thousands of scrolls. A long, shiny table occupied the middle of the room, its legs graceful depictions of some birdlike creature. A scroll had been partially unspooled and spread out, waiting for them, the edges anchored with glimmering green and blue stones carved into fanciful shapes of birds and fish.
“What is all this?” Mark paused on the threshold, breathing in the musty but not unpleasant smell, stunned by the sight of thousands of scrolls.
“The Library of Khunarum himself.” Jagrahim’s voice held pride. “When the great city perished from the lives of men, and the people fled away to the south, my tribe received the duty and honor of preserving the knowledge. After hearing your description of the serpent in the temple, I remembered a reference to such a creature. I’ve spent the night searching for the pertinent scrolls.”
The story:
Are they merely luckless lovers … or a legend come back to life?
Mark Denaltieri, ex-Sector Special Forces, has been hired by the Outlier Empress to rescue her granddaughter, Princess Alessandra, from kidnappers. Since the Empress once had him tortured and banished, she’s the last person Mark wants to work for. But he takes the job. He’ll save Alessandra, his first love, and discover why she didn’t speak for him when he desperately needed her. Then he’ll be on his way, finally free of his past.
Alessandra would rather her rescuer was anyone but Mark–after all, he let her believe he was dead all this time. But when the couple are forced to flee her captors by Traveling via a strange crystal globe, they find themselves in a lovely Oasis on a desert planet, the old attraction sizzling between them again.
They soon discover they are far from alone. The Oasis holds the entrance to another world, one in which the inhabitants are convinced Sandy and Mark are the Lady of the Star Wind and her Warrior, come to free them from an evil Queen.
Mark and Sandy must work together to unearth an ancient mirror, and crown the true king of this land. Can they fulfill the prophecy of the Lady and her Warrior … and this time, will their love survive the test?
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Good that they are doing research. When Sandy comes back, she’ll need all the help she can get.
Nice. Reminds me of the stories of the Library of Alexandria. Great snippet, Veronica. 🙂
Oh, how wonderful it would be to find an ancient library! I hope they find the answers they need. Great excerpt! 🙂
Beautiful descriptions and the last paragraph is awesome.
NICE! Very vivid and conveys a lot of information very smoothly. And a stroke of luck for Sandy!
Sure makes me glad for Google! that is no small feat, so casually described, Veronica!
Aha! An intelligent desert-dweller.
Enjoying this aspect of the story. Congrats on the successful release!
Wonderful descriptions! I especially like that he didn’t dislike the smell of the scrolls. As someone above commented, reminds one of the ancient Library at Alexandria. It’s fun also to now hear Mark’s side of the story!
Love getting Mark’s POV! Very descriptive snippet. I feel like I’m there. Congrats on your new release!
Yes, this was my attempt at ‘saving’ the great library at Alexandria, in my story anyway. Mark was also bitten by the snake but he had all kinds of Sectors Special Forces injects in the past, that protected him from the venom, and coincidentally kept him from the influence of the Moon Sisters.
Yay Mark! Also, I can barely fathom searching through all those scrolls. :S Great snippet and congrats on the book’s success!
How awesome would it be to stroll around an ancient library like that. I can “smell” the scrolls.
Tweeted.
You rascal, you’ve done it again. Wonderful snippet and Mark speaking up. What a manly man! Hugs, C
Yes, I thought it was high time we see what Mark has been doing and thinking!
Cool! I love all the local lore we get in this snippet, and the setting is wonderful.
love the descriptions. And I want to know what they found out about the serpent!
Great visuals in this scene, and tons of intrigue, as ever — nicely done!
Never met a library I didn’t love, this one continued.
Ah, Veronica, I love the way you describe. You’ve brought that room to life. Great snippet!
These scrolls are going to play a big role in placing him firmly in the legend, I’m sure.
Wonderfully descriptive, and makes me want to continue reading. Glad the launch is going well. Great snippet.
Great description — and I bet the information they seek is in there somewhere!
Love all the attention to even the smallest detail. It sounds like a wonderful library.
So nice to see what Mark is up to. The library sounds wonderful!
Oh good, I was hoping we’d get something from his POV. I want to know what he thinks of everything, is he a little freaked out or do his instincts take over?
Marcia
This sounds like the ancient library in Alexandria. I’m sure they can find something relevant to their situation there.
Great snippet–love the descriptions–hope they find something there.
I love this. I want to visit this library. One can sense how Mark feels seeing the room for the first time.
I’d love to find an ancient library like that and have limitless time to spend reading everything it holds. Great excerpt.
Well done on the descriptions. Really liked it.
Ooooh, can I go to this unknown library? I would love it. Great visuals. I especially love the scroll and gem depictions. I wonder if Mark is going to be getting some answers of his own now.
Always a pleasure reading your snippets. The visuals keep pulling me back for more.
Such a wealth of knowledge preserved and guarded. Archeologists and anthropologists would drool at such a find. 😀