(If you came for the SFR Brigade Presents hop, the link is here for the central list and here for my post of the week.)
Awards news and talking about a cool compliment from Nalini Singh at the end of the post!
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. I’ll continue with Mark’s POV.
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 the scrolls from the ancient library, rescued from the Lost City, including one depicting a snake such as Mark has described. Edited from the published version.
Long lines of elegant symbols surrounded the depiction of the snake.
The desert chief repositioned the anchor stones holding the parchment scroll open, “Read for yourself.”
Even if this was High Chetal in the written format, which Mark doubted, his hypno training covered spoken languages only – he could no more read this than the well-meaning man opposite him could speak Outlier. “I can’t – translate for me, please?”
“This is Sherabti, companion to the Goddess Mother Nuet, She Who Came Before. Sherabti served as her messenger, her watcher—”
“Wait just a moment.” Mark held up his hands against the flood of words, “You’re talking about this snake as if it’s a myth.”
Jagrahim seemed to be in unmistakable agreement, “Myth, legend, divine being, who can say?”
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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NEWS!
Ghost of the Nile was announced by InDTale Magazine as a RONE Award Finalist, and in another contest result also announced last week, was the Winner of the RCRW “Cover Me Contest” in the paranormal romance cover art category! (Frauke Spanuth of Croco Designs gets all the credit for the beautiful cover.)
And then this other lovely thing happened for Star Cruise: Outbreak, when Ms. Singh retweeted a review the book had gotten and added her own comment. She’s my favorite author, so I was beyond thrilled to know she enjoyed one of MY books!:
It’s very believable the way Jagrahim blurs the line between myth, legend, and god.
I’m sure Mark wishes he could read it. Great excerpt! And what a fabulous shout out from Nalina Singh! 🙂
“Myth, legend, divine being, who can say?”
Filled with lots of questions, great snippet, very intriguing.
Sometimes the lines between myths, deities, and legends really do blur, particularly those shrouded in the mists of antiquity.
I love that last line!
Love the last line, too. I’m intrigued to know more, but I’m always intrigued by your snippets. Congrats on Ghost of the Nile being a RONE Award Finalist! And having a favorite author comment on your work in such a wonderful light, is the very best. 🙂
Well, that’s not too helpful, though I hope he gets the information he needs. Congrats on being a finalist and getting a shout-out from a favorite author!
Interesting. I’ll be curious to find out whether it is myth or real.
I personally think it’s a legend. The last line raises many questions. You certainly have a knack for stories from lands that time forgot, shall we say.
Great snippet! Can’t wait to see where this goes. And a shout-our from Nalini Singh?! Wow! That’s amazing! Congratulations! 😀
Very intriguing! Great snippet, Veronica!
I like the detail that he only understands spoken languages. Congrats on finaling in the contest and the complimentary mention!
So Sandy has been bitten by not just any snake, but perhaps a mythological snake, a divine being. I wonder what the effect will be on her. Congratulations on the shout out and compliment from Nalini Singh.
He’s just learning about the living legend, while Sandy is in the middle of it!
A myth that bites. Things are about to get a whole lot weirder for Mark. Love the details of the language and the scroll.
I don’t think there’s much doubt about it being a myth any more–Sandy has the bite marks to prove it! I do wish Mark could read the scroll, though. So much could get lost in translation.
This definitely adds a layer of curiosity to the story. 🙂
Congrats on the Rone finalist. Best wishes on the next round! 🙂
I’m so proud of my clever friend writing these extraordinary books of ancient times. Continue to grow your skills ,dear Veronica. Hugs from Charmaine
Love the ancient texts and languages. Great snippet! Tweeted.
Awesome snippet as always. Questions without clear answers. And double- WOOT on all the amazing news! =D
Myth? Legend? Can’t wait to find out.
I can’t really add anything else but I echo all the compliments, you deserve them 🙂
Marcia
Who can say? Well, the people who almost died when they got bit by her can say!
Ooh, hypno training…I always love the detail in your rich, immersive world building!
I love the idea of hypno training, Veronica. Language and dialect is often the sci-fi elephant in the room. Very elegant solution!
Interesting that he is getting his own information from the other side of the snake bite.
Hypno training? Need to find out more. Love this.
I love that last line! Rings very true.