Tag Archives: Ancient Egypt

Dec 1 2013

The Game Is On DANCER OF THE NILE Weekend Writing Warriors

better wewriwaContinuing on with my paranormal romance set in ancient Egypt…Nima and Kamin have been captured by a caravan master who plans to sell them to the pursuing enemy. Nima challenges the man to a game of senet, with her life and Kamin’s as the stakes and a blood oath between herself and the caravan master that they’ll each honor the outcome. Ptahnetamun, the caravan master, brings out a gameboard and they play, with Kamin, all the caravan workers and many of the caravan passengers watching. I  thought you might like a glimpse of the game.

Based on my research and my consolidation of the differing views, painted sticks rather than dice were thrown to determine the number of spaces moved by a pawn. My sticks are black-and-white and earlier in the book I explained the points scoring system. Each player has five pawns. I actually played this game between Nima and her opponent several times to make sure I’d gotten the moves and counts right!

              …it seemed the audience admired both the gaming and the cheating skills on display and was content to accept the outcome. The betting odds evened out, although still slightly favoring the caravan master to win.

                Thunder rumbled as Ptahnetamun marched his fourth pawn off the board. His fifth was ten squares back, and Nima passed him by. There was an audible gasp from the crowd as she threw four white sides, sending her next-to-last pawn to safety. Now the game sat with one pawn belonging to each player still on the board. The wily caravan master was a few squares closer to claiming victory, but Nima was gaining on him, until finally both pawns sat crowded on square twenty-six, the House of Happiness, one of the few spaces that could be so shared.

                “Yet only one of us will have happiness within their grasp this night,” Ptahnetamun said.

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I  love and appreciate your comments and feedback every week! Go here  to find all the other Weekend Writing Warriors and read  an amazing variety of  terrific excerpts…

The story:

Egypt, 1500 BCE

Nima’s beauty and skill as a dancer leads an infatuated enemy to kidnap her after destroying an Egyptian border town. However, she’s not the only hostage in the enemy camp: Kamin, an Egyptian soldier on a secret mission for Pharaoh, has been taken as well. Working together to escape, the two of them embark on a desperate quest across the desert to carry word of the enemy’s invasion plans to Pharaoh’s people.

As they flee for their lives, these two strangers thrown together by misfortune have to trust in each other to survive.  Nima suspects Kamin is more than the simple soldier he seems, but she finds it hard to resist the effect he has on her heart.  Kamin has a duty to his Pharaoh to see his mission completed, but this clever and courageous dancer is claiming more of his loyalty and love by the moment. Kamin starts to worry, if it comes to a choice between saving Egypt or saving Nima’s life…what will he do?

Aided by the Egyptian god Horus and the Snake Goddess Renenutet, beset by the enemy’s black magic, can Nima and Kamin evade the enemy and reach the safety of the Nile in time to foil the planned attack?

Can there ever be a happy future together for the humble dancer and the brave Egyptian soldier who is so much more than he seems?

DANCER OF THE NILE, an Amazon Best Seller, is AVAILABLE on Amazon   Barnes & Noble   All Romance eBooks iTunes   Smashwords

                

Nov 24 2013

Cheat a Cheater? DANCER OF THE NILE Snippet

Paranormal romance set in ancient Egypt…Nima and Kamin have been captured by a caravan master who plans to sell them to the pursuing enemy. Nima challenges the man to a game of senet, with her life and Kamin’s as the stakes and a blood oath between herself and the caravan master that they’ll each honor the outcome. Needless to say, Kamin isn’t too happy and pulls her aside:

“What in the seven hells are you doing? “

               Leaning close, she whispered, “Trust me, please, Kamin, if he swears a blood oath—”

                “And if you win,” he said furiously, “The throwing sticks are bound to be false-weighted somehow – it won’t be a fair game, not some friendly match in the tavern for mugs of beer.”

                “I’m hoping the sticks are false.” She smiled mischievously, letting her smile fade as he continued to glare at her. “I know the stakes are high, but we’re not getting out of here otherwise -you’re one man surrounded by dozens, and he sees profit in selling us. This is the only way we stand a chance of escaping.”

                “You’re asking me to risk the success of my mission for Pharaoh, for Egypt, on how well you can cheat a cheater?”

Author’s Photo

The story:

Egypt, 1500 BCE

Nima’s beauty and skill as a dancer leads an infatuated enemy to kidnap her after destroying an Egyptian border town. However, she’s not the only hostage in the enemy camp: Kamin, an Egyptian soldier on a secret mission for Pharaoh, has been taken as well. Working together to escape, the two of them embark on a desperate quest across the desert to carry word of the enemy’s invasion plans to Pharaoh’s people.

As they flee for their lives, these two strangers thrown together by misfortune have to trust in each other to survive.  Nima suspects Kamin is more than the simple soldier he seems, but she finds it hard to resist the effect he has on her heart.  Kamin has a duty to his Pharaoh to see his mission completed, but this clever and courageous dancer is claiming more of his loyalty and love by the moment. Kamin starts to worry, if it comes to a choice between saving Egypt or saving Nima’s life…what will he do?

Aided by the Egyptian god Horus and the Snake Goddess Renenutet, beset by the enemy’s black magic, can Nima and Kamin evade the enemy and reach the safety of the Nile in time to foil the planned attack?

Can there ever be a happy future together for the humble dancer and the brave Egyptian soldier who is so much more than he seems?

Amazon     Apple Books     Barnes & Noble       Kobo   Google Play

VS: There’s a sequel as well although the coupl has an HEA at the end of the first book:

RETURN OF DANCER OF THE NILE

The blurb:  Nima, formerly a tavern dancer in the land of the Nile, has settled into the leisurely life of her dreams as the pampered, beloved wife to a high ranking general who’s also a member of Pharaoh’s court. She’s sworn never to dance for anyone else but Kamin, the man she loves. All is fine until one day news arrives that her husband has been killed in a chariot accident while on a trip to a remote city on Pharaoh’s behalf.

But as a reward for their previous service to Egypt against a dangerous enemy, the gods had promised Nima and Kamin they’d die at the same moment…so if she still lives, so must he.

Why is the ruler of the city lying to Pharaoh about Kamin’s death? What is the woman covering up? And where is Kamin?

Time for Nima the elegant lady to vanish from Thebes and Nima the skilled dancer to make her way in disguise to the far distant province and fight for Kamin’s life.  She’ll have to deal with angry gods, black magic, an enemy prince and a deadly ghost along the way.

Nima is the only one who can rescue her beloved from the dark fate planned for him by Egypt’s enemies…

Amazon     Apple Books       Nook    Kobo     Google

VS: And there’s a third book about their adult son:

DANGER ON THE NILE (CHILDREN OF FATE BOOK ONE) 

1550 BCE. Mayet is a newly appointed priestess at the temple of Isis in a southern Egyptian border town. When enemies attack the city, she must flee alone with a sacred effigy to keep the invaders from claiming it and using it for their own magic rituals. Joining with other refugees from the stricken city, she has to hide the statue from curious eyes and comfort her companions as if she was a learned, senior priestess. They all look to her for leadership on their desperate trek north. With the enemy close on their heels, Mayet stumbles over an ancient, abandoned fort, where her party takes refuge. Surrounded and trapped by the invaders, she faces a bleak future.

Khay is a high-ranking Egyptian officer, sent by Pharaoh to negotiate treaties with various southern tribes. He and his soldiers narrowly escape an ambush at the city where Mayet’s temple was located and are on the run from the invaders when he sees the shelter of an abandoned fort. Now he and his men are also trapped inside the stout walls with no food and no hope of rescue. Yet he has no regrets for the priestess leading the refugees is the woman the goddess Isis has shown him in a vision, the one who could become his wife.

Together Mayet and Khay must find a way to bring their people to freedom. Will Isis listen to pleas from such a fledgling priestess? Khay comes from a famous family, smiled upon by other gods – will any of them come to his aid? As the pair struggle to stay alive and save the other Egyptians, attraction grows and unites their hearts. But is there to be a future in this world, or only in the Afterlife?

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo     Nook     GooglePlay

 

 

Nov 17 2013

The Warrior Answers DANCER OF THE NILE Weekend Writing Warriors

better wewriwaAs promised last week, here’s Kamin the Warrior’s answer to Nima’s expression of her dreams for a better life (please excuse the interesting punctuation choices):

Such simple dreams shouldn’t be out of reach. He tilted her chin, reached to take the now-wilted flower from her ebony hair as he said, “Well, then, we’ll get the nomarch who rules this province in Pharoah’s name to issue you a fat reward – genuine gold of valor – for saving my life, and you can make your way anywhere you choose.” He blew the limp petals off his fingertips.

Watching the tiny yellow fragments spiral away in the slight breeze, Nima half smiled, “You dream big, soldier.”

Actually I dream of you now. Kamin took a deep breath and said, “Nima—”

She set her fingers on his lips, “I don’t think we should tempt fate by talking of the future.”

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I  love and appreciate your comments and feedback every week! Go here  to find all the other Weekend Writing Warriors and read  an amazing variety of  terrific excerpts…

The story:

Egypt, 1500 BCE

Nima’s beauty and skill as a dancer leads an infatuated enemy to kidnap her after destroying an Egyptian border town. However, she’s not the only hostage in the enemy camp: Kamin, an Egyptian soldier on a secret mission for Pharaoh, has been taken as well. Working together to escape, the two of them embark on a desperate quest across the desert to carry word of the enemy’s invasion plans to Pharaoh’s people.

As they flee for their lives, these two strangers thrown together by misfortune have to trust in each other to survive.  Nima suspects Kamin is more than the simple soldier he seems, but she finds it hard to resist the effect he has on her heart.  Kamin has a duty to his Pharaoh to see his mission completed, but this clever and courageous dancer is claiming more of his loyalty and love by the moment. Kamin starts to worry, if it comes to a choice between saving Egypt or saving Nima’s life…what will he do?

Aided by the Egyptian god Horus and the Snake Goddess Renenutet, beset by the enemy’s black magic, can Nima and Kamin evade the enemy and reach the safety of the Nile in time to foil the planned attack?

Can there ever be a happy future together for the humble dancer and the brave Egyptian soldier who is so much more than he seems?

DANCER OF THE NILE, an Amazon Best Seller, is AVAILABLE on Amazon   Barnes & Noble   All Romance eBooks iTunes   Smashwords

Nov 10 2013

A Dancer’s Dreams Weekend Writing Warriors DANCER OF THE NILE

better wewriwa

Continuing on with DANCER OF THE NILE for a few more weeks…last week we had  Nima dreaming about the night she was captured.  Kamin manages to waken her and as part of his effort to help her calm down, he starts a conversation about her life as a dancer and her hopes for the future. The troop she belongs to is on the shady side and raised her after her mother, who was a disgraced temple dancer,  died. Lately the troop leader and his wife have been pressuring Nima to do some things she  finds repugnant.  Nima is speaking:

“…I’ve no desire to be someone’s concubine, no matter how pleasant he may be or how good a lover. I won’t be a possession, discarded when I’m too old to dance.” Her voice rang with contempt. She played with the frayed hem of her dress, braiding and unbraiding the raggedy strands. “I want to be in charge of my own life, never perform again, unless for an audience of my own choosing. I want to see more of the world than the same border towns and taverns. I want to be respectably married someday, have children, be mistress of a household. ” Her voice trailed off, but after a moment she shook herself and straightened, saying as she did so, “First, I have to escape the life I’m trapped in.”

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I  love and appreciate your comments and feedback every week! Go here  to find all the other Weekend Writing Warriors and read  an amazing variety of  terrific excerpts…

The story:

Egypt, 1500 BCE

Nima’s beauty and skill as a dancer leads an infatuated enemy to kidnap her after destroying an Egyptian border town. However, she’s not the only hostage in the enemy camp: Kamin, an Egyptian soldier on a secret mission for Pharaoh, has been taken as well. Working together to escape, the two of them embark on a desperate quest across the desert to carry word of the enemy’s invasion plans to Pharaoh’s people.

As they flee for their lives, these two strangers thrown together by misfortune have to trust in each other to survive.  Nima suspects Kamin is more than the simple soldier he seems, but she finds it hard to resist the effect he has on her heart.  Kamin has a duty to his Pharaoh to see his mission completed, but this clever and courageous dancer is claiming more of his loyalty and love by the moment. Kamin starts to worry, if it comes to a choice between saving Egypt or saving Nima’s life…what will he do?

Aided by the Egyptian god Horus and the Snake Goddess Renenutet, beset by the enemy’s black magic, can Nima and Kamin evade the enemy and reach the safety of the Nile in time to foil the planned attack?

Can there ever be a happy future together for the humble dancer and the brave Egyptian soldier who is so much more than he seems?

DANCER OF THE NILE, an Amazon Best Seller, is AVAILABLE on Amazon   Barnes & Noble   All Romance eBooks iTunes   Smashwords

Nov 3 2013

Weekend Writing Warriors And the Fire Burns DANCER OF THE NILE

better wewriwaContinuing on with DANCER OF THE NILE for a few more weeks…last week we had a moment of humor as Nima the Dancer and Kamin gthe Warrior were escaping their captors. This snippet today is from further on in the book, after “some events” (no spoilers!). They’re holed up in a cave, waiting for nightfall before they travel onward. Nima is dreaming about the night she was captured:

               Cherry-colored flames with yellow and violet cores crackling everywhere, above and below. The blackened roof timbers groaned, glowing from the inside out. How much longer would they hold? Small pieces were falling away each moment, burning embers igniting new blazes wherever they fell. Wind generated by the fire itself blew sparks in a mad whirl.

Her skin hot, dry as the desert to the point of pain. I’m baking alive.

                The screams from every direction had stopped or were muffled by the roaring flames….she couldn’t stay where she was, but if she broke cover and ran, the attackers would see her. 

(A small historical note here – the Egyptians are generally agreed not to have eaten cherries until Roman times. I decided since Nima danced on a circuit in all the border towns, she might have seen them 1200 years before Rome got there…or not LOL. I do take a few deliberate liberties with my Ancient Egyptian time frame.)

fire by moniquef12

I  love and appreciate your comments and feedback every week! Go here  to find all the other Weekend Writing Warriors and read  an amazing variety of  terrific excerpts…

The story:

Egypt, 1500 BCE

Nima’s beauty and skill as a dancer leads an infatuated enemy to kidnap her after destroying an Egyptian border town. However, she’s not the only hostage in the enemy camp: Kamin, an Egyptian soldier on a secret mission for Pharaoh, has been taken as well. Working together to escape, the two of them embark on a desperate quest across the desert to carry word of the enemy’s invasion plans to Pharaoh’s people.

As they flee for their lives, these two strangers thrown together by misfortune have to trust in each other to survive.  Nima suspects Kamin is more than the simple soldier he seems, but she finds it hard to resist the effect he has on her heart.  Kamin has a duty to his Pharaoh to see his mission completed, but this clever and courageous dancer is claiming more of his loyalty and love by the moment. Kamin starts to worry, if it comes to a choice between saving Egypt or saving Nima’s life…what will he do?

Aided by the Egyptian god Horus and the Snake Goddess Renenutet, beset by the enemy’s black magic, can Nima and Kamin evade the enemy and reach the safety of the Nile in time to foil the planned attack?

Can there ever be a happy future together for the humble dancer and the brave Egyptian soldier who is so much more than he seems?

DANCER OF THE NILE, an Amazon Best Seller, is AVAILABLE on Amazon   Barnes & Noble   All Romance eBooks iTunes   Smashwords

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Oct 27 2013

Weekend Writing Warriors Steal a Chariot in DANCER OF THE NILE

better wewriwa

Staying with my latest release, Dancer of the Nile, which takes us back to Ancient Egypt. This follows last week’s snippet where Nima warned Kamin not to eat the stew. Avoiding spoilers, I’ve moved ahead a little, skipped a bit,  as they’re trying to make their getaway from the enemy. A little creative editing to stay within the eight sentence rule. The story blurb is below the photo.

                She’d already gotten one horse hitched to a chariot. Kamin set the sword and shield in the vehicle and grabbed the halter of another horse. “Where did you learn to harness teams?”

                Nima was following the line now, loosening the straps holding the animals to the tether and flapping her arms in an attempt to make them shy and bolt. She frowned over her shoulder at him. “My family travels by oxcart – I figured ox, horse, four legs, not much difference.” Impatiently, she shoved at a horse nibbling her sleeve. “These damn animals won’t move.”

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I  love and appreciate your comments and feedback every week! Go here  to find all the other Weekend Writing Warriors and read  an amazing variety of  terrific excerpts…

Egypt, 1500 BCE

Nima’s beauty and skill as a dancer leads an infatuated enemy to kidnap her after destroying an Egyptian border town. However, she’s not the only hostage in the enemy camp: Kamin, an Egyptian soldier on a secret mission for Pharaoh, has been taken as well. Working together to escape, the two of them embark on a desperate quest across the desert to carry word of the enemy’s invasion plans to Pharaoh’s people.

As they flee for their lives, these two strangers thrown together by misfortune have to trust in each other to survive.  Nima suspects Kamin is more than the simple soldier he seems, but she finds it hard to resist the effect he has on her heart.  Kamin has a duty to his Pharaoh to see his mission completed, but this clever and courageous dancer is claiming more of his loyalty and love by the moment. Kamin starts to worry, if it comes to a choice between saving Egypt or saving Nima’s life…what will he do?

Aided by the Egyptian god Horus and the Snake Goddess Renenutet, beset by the enemy’s black magic, can Nima and Kamin evade the enemy and reach the safety of the Nile in time to foil the planned attack?

Can there ever be a happy future together for the humble dancer and the brave Egyptian soldier who is so much more than he seems?

DANCER OF THE NILE, an Amazon Best Seller, is AVAILABLE on Amazon   Barnes & Noble   All Romance eBooks iTunes   Smashwords

Oct 20 2013

Weekend Writing Warriors Is there a plan? DANCER OF THE NILE

better wewriwaSwitching this week to my latest release, Dancer of the Nile, which takes us back to Ancient Egypt again. This is the second night, when Nima the Dancer has been forced to cook dinner yet again for the enemy soldiers. We’re in Kamin’s viewpoint. A little creative editing to stay within the eight sentence rule. The story blurb is below the photo.

                Tonight’s meal smelled even better than the stew the night before. Sundown breezes brought a whiff his way, causing painful cramps in his gut, which grumbled.

                Finally, after the officers and the soldiers had been fed, she scooped a bowl full of stew from the kettle and sauntered in his direction, her walk unhurried. Kamin enjoyed the view, realizing with a little jolt of dismay how eagerly he was anticipating even the most fleeting contact with her.

                She set the bowl in his outstretched palms and looked him straight in the eyes, her own gaze intense. “Don’t eat it,” she said in a barely audible whisper, before walking away without a backward glance.

              The guards watched him so he made a show of fumbling with the bowl, as if trying to get a better grip. He allowed it to slip from his fingers, struggling against the ropes in a convincing show of desperation, attempting to catch the rim as it rolled off his fingertips, shattering on a rock, splattering him with stew.  

I  love and appreciate your comments and feedback every week! Go here  to find all the other Weekend Writing Warriors and read  an amazing variety of  terrific excerpts…

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Egypt, 1500 BCE

Nima’s beauty and skill as a dancer leads an infatuated enemy to kidnap her after destroying an Egyptian border town. However, she’s not the only hostage in the enemy camp: Kamin, an Egyptian soldier on a secret mission for Pharaoh, has been taken as well. Working together to escape, the two of them embark on a desperate quest across the desert to carry word of the enemy’s invasion plans to Pharaoh’s people.

As they flee for their lives, these two strangers thrown together by misfortune have to trust in each other to survive.  Nima suspects Kamin is more than the simple soldier he seems, but she finds it hard to resist the effect he has on her heart.  Kamin has a duty to his Pharaoh to see his mission completed, but this clever and courageous dancer is claiming more of his loyalty and love by the moment. Kamin starts to worry, if it comes to a choice between saving Egypt or saving Nima’s life…what will he do?

Aided by the Egyptian god Horus and the Snake Goddess Renenutet, beset by the enemy’s black magic, can Nima and Kamin evade the enemy and reach the safety of the Nile in time to foil the planned attack?

Can there ever be a happy future together for the humble dancer and the brave Egyptian soldier who is so much more than he seems?

DANCER OF THE NILE is AVAILABLE on Amazon   Barnes & Noble   All Romance eBooks iTunes   Smashwords

Oct 7 2013

Release Week DANCER OF THE NILE

DancerOfTheNile_1600x2400

 

I’m very excited to be releasing my third book in the Gods of Egypt series – DANCER OF THE NILE!

They always say you should write the book you can’t find enough of on the shelf and for me, that would be romances set in Ancient Egypt, with the gods actively taking part in events. I write in the 1550 BCE time frame, a period of great change for the Egyptians as they threw off a foreign invader. The true events of history create many plot opportunities. I do tons of research in order to put my characters in a setting which feels real and evocative of the time but I also take some deliberate liberties with history.

One of the best things about employing the Egyptian gods as characters is that there were many varying legends and beliefs about each deity, so I can pick and choose the aspects that work best for my story. For DANCER OF THE NILE, I really enjoyed working Renenutet the Snake Goddess into the story, to help my heroine, Nima the dancer.  Renenutet was particularly involved with the harvest in Egypt but as a woman with the head of a cobra, she has her deadlier aspects, believe me.

Kamin, the Egyptian soldier who stands beside  Nima as they fight for Egypt, is sworn to Horus the Falcon, so he plays a role in events too. Here’s the story:

Ancient Egypt:

Nima’s beauty and skill as a dancer leads an infatuated enemy to kidnap her after destroying an Egyptian border town. However, she’s not the only hostage in the enemy camp: Kamin, an Egyptian soldier on a secret mission for Pharaoh, has been taken as well. Working together to escape, the two of them embark on a desperate quest across the desert to carry word of the enemy’s invasion plans to Pharaoh’s people.

As they flee for their lives, these two strangers thrown together by misfortune have to trust in each other to survive.  Nima suspects Kamin is more than the simple soldier he seems, but she finds it hard to resist the effect he has on her heart.  Kamin has a duty to his Pharaoh to see his mission completed, but this clever and courageous dancer is claiming more of his loyalty and love by the moment. Kamin starts to worry, if it comes to a choice between saving Egypt or saving Nima’s life…what will he do?

Aided by the Egyptian god Horus and the Snake Goddess Renenutet, beset by the enemy’s black magic, can Nima and Kamin evade the enemy and reach the safety of the Nile in time to foil the planned attack?

Can there ever be a happy future together for the humble dancer and the brave Egyptian soldier who is so much more than he seems?

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I’m proud to say DANCER OF THE NILE hit the Amazon Best Seller list the first day, in the Romance=>Ancient World category. Thank you to everyone who purchased the book, giving it such a terrific head start,  and I hope you’ll enjoy the story!

DANCER OF THE NILE is AVAILABLE on Amazon   Barnes & Noble   All Romance eBooks  iTunes

All the other outlets will be coming SOON!

Sep 16 2013

Release Day Warrior of the Nile

Warrior_ofthe_Nile_finalI’m so happy to say that the Release Day has actually arrived for WARRIOR OF THE NILE, my paranormal novel set in Ancient Egypt. The events are set in  motion by the goddess Nephthys, sister to Isis. Khenet, the Warrior of the title, and Lady Tiya have to work really hard to accomplish the assigned task without dying and still satisfy the demands of the goddess.

Whenever twin goddesses are around, it’s tempting to assume one is Good and the other is Evil. But it’s not necessarily so! In Ancient Egypt Isis was the queen of the gods and represented motherhood, magic and fertility. Worship of this goddess endured for centuries and even spread through the Roman Empire. Wife of Osiris, ruler of the gods, her headdress was shaped like a throne and the pharaohs of Egypt were often depicted as being her children. She was associated with the rebirth that Egyptians expected in their afterlife. Pretty much the good stuff came to Isis.

Her twin sister Nephthys, although not depicted as evil, was associated with death, with battling demons, darkness and dangerous places like the edge of the desert. She and Isis were viewed by the Egyptians as different aspects of the same supernatural power.

One thing that is very useful to me in writing my paranormal novels of Ancient Egypt is the many varying interpretations and legends surrounding all their gods and goddesses, enabling me to pick and choose the aspects that work best with my worldbuilding and then I stay consistent in my choices. Nephthys  doesn’t get things all her own way in my novel – Isis takes a hand in how events turn out, not exactly as her sister had in mind.

Here’s the story overview:

Egypt, 1500 BCE

Lady Tiya is bound to the service of the goddess Nephthys, who plans to sacrifice Tiya’s body to protect Egypt from an ancient terror. She embarks to meet her grim fate alone but for the hardened warrior Khenet, who is fated to die at her side. Tiya’s dreams of love and family now seem impossible, and Khenet, who is the last of his line, knows his culture will die with him. Struggling with the high cost of Nephthys’s demands, both resolve to remain loyal.

Neither expects the passion that flowers when Tiya’s quiet courage and ethereal beauty meet Khenet’s firm strength and resolve. On a boat down the Nile, their two lonely souls find in each other a reason to live. But time is short and trust elusive.

Without the willing sacrifice of Tiya and Khenet, a great evil will return to Egypt. How could the gods demand their deaths when they’ve only just begun to live?

blue scarab

The book has also been issued as an audiobook, which I LOVE…here are the buy links:

Amazon  for kindle and audiobook  Carina Press   AllRomance eBooks    Barnes & Noble

(And stay tuned for DANCER OF THE NILE, coming in late October, which I’ll be self publishing as a stand alone novel set in the same time frame.)

Sep 15 2013

Weekend Writing Warriors Will They Ever See Each Other Again?

better wewriwaThe final excerpt from WARRIOR OF THE NILE, which is being released tomorrow, September 16th! Thanks for all the support along the way…the majority who voted wanted a cliffhanger so that’s more or less what I’m providing today (but remember this is a romance so HEA is guaranteed LOL). Next week I’ll start doing a few weeks from my best selling new SciFi Romance ESCAPE FROM ZULAIRE and then we’ll go back to the Nile with the next book, DANCER.)

Khenet and the goddess Nephthys (hidden in Tiya’s body, while Tiya’s ka [soul] is temporarily banished) wait to enter the city that has been their destination. Nephthys is angry over several things Khenet and Tiya have done on the journey….

“While we wait, mortal, let me assure you, I’ll be allowing my daughter to waken as we share this body. I’ll let her ka watch all that is done to you, before she herself dies, ” Nephthys-Tiya said as she fanned herself with languid motions.

“Why do you hate us so? She’s your descendant and we’re both loyal Egyptians.”

“Appealing to my softer side, pleading for mercy at this late hour?” Nephthys-Tiya was contemptuous. 

Through clenched jaw, he made one more attempt to save Tiya,  “Not for myself, but surely you could spare her life!”

“Humans are but tools to accomplish the goal, pawns to play in the game,” the goddess said. 

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I  love and appreciate your comments and feedback every week! Go here  to find all the other Weekend Writing Warriors and read  an amazing variety of  terrific excerpts…

 

And the blurb for WARRIOR OF THE NILE:

 

Egypt, 1500 BCE

 

Lady Tiya is bound to the service of the goddess Nephthys, who plans to sacrifice Tiya’s body to protect Egypt from an ancient terror. She embarks to meet her grim fate alone but for the hardened warrior Khenet, who is fated to die at her side. Tiya’s dreams of love and family now seem impossible, and Khenet, who is the last of his line, knows his culture will die with him. Struggling with the high cost of Nephthys’s demands, both resolve to remain loyal.

 

Neither expects the passion that flowers when Tiya’s quiet courage and ethereal beauty meet Khenet’s firm strength and resolve. On a boat down the Nile, their two lonely souls find in each other a reason to live. But time is short and trust elusive.

 

Without the willing sacrifice of Tiya and Khenet, a great evil will return to Egypt. How could the gods demand their deaths when they’ve only just begun to live?