Exclusive Excerpt+Giveaway: She's the One Who Thinks Too Much by S.R. Cronin

 

She’s the One Who Thinks Too Much

Book One of the War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters

A historical fantasy by S.R. Cronin

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It’s the 1200’s, and the small realm of Ilari has had peace and prosperity for generations. That doesn’t mean everyone is happy, however.

Ryalgar, a spinster farm girl and the oldest of seven, has always preferred her studies to flirtation, yet even she finally meets her prince. Or so she thinks, until she discovers he’s already betrothed. Embarrassed, she flees her family’s farm to join the Velka, the mysterious women of the forest known for their magical powers and for living apart from men.

As a Velka, she develops her telekinesis and learns she has a talent for analyzing information. Both are going to come in handy. For she’s continued to meet her prince at the forest’s edge, thinking being his mistress isn’t such a bad deal. Then she learns more about his princely assignment. He’s tasked with training the army of Ilari to repel the feared Mongol horseman who’ve been moving eastward for years, killing all in their path. And, her prince is willing to sacrifice the outer farmlands where she grew up to these invaders, if he has to.

Ryalgar isn’t about to let that happen.

She’s got the Velka behind her now, as well as a multitude of university intellectuals, a family of tough farmers, and six sisters each with her own unique personality and talents.

Can Ryalgar organize all that into a resistance that will stop the Mongols? She thinks she can.

Exclusive Excerpt

Today, my dad was in the large barn repairing farm equipment. Our laborers were seasonal and had been let go until winter began to lift, and yet he needed another person to hold up ends of things and hand him tools. I picked up the end of the wagon axle as my father pounded a joining cuff on it with a large wooden mallet.

“Your mother is quite excited about this prince who’s taken an interest in you,” he said.

My first thought was that the prince’s interest in me mostly involved sex, but that seemed an awkward response to give my father.

“I’m not sure anything will come of it.”

He turned his attention away to remove a small clamp from a piece of metal and said nothing.

“Why does mom hate the Velka so much?”

“Why won’t you quit asking me that question?” he replied.

“It’s been a year since I last asked you. My life is changing. I want to know.”

He sighed. “I guess I’ve always known I’d have to tell you sooner or later.”

“Did she get in a fight with them?”

“No.” He put down his tools and leaned against the wagon. “It’s nothing like what you think.”

“So tell me!” I’d come to stand closer to him, not willing to let him turn away and go back to work without answering me. Not this time.

He took a deep breath and swallowed, then he looked right at me.

“My mother isn’t dead.” His voice was so quiet it was almost a whisper.

“What? Grandma died right after Grandpa. When I was only four. I remember it.”

“No, you remember me telling you she’d died. She didn’t. She ran away, Ryalgar. To do something she wanted to do, and couldn’t while she was married.”

It wasn’t hard to guess. “Grandma became a Velka?” Now this was interesting.

“She did.”

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About S.R. Cronin

 

Sherrie Cronin is the author of a collection of six speculative fiction novels known as 46. Ascending and is now in the process of publishing a historical fantasy series called The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters. A quick look at the synopses of her books makes it obvious she is fascinated by people achieving the astonishing by developing abilities they barely knew they had.

She’s made a lot of stops along the way to writing these novels. She’s lived in seven cities, visited forty-six countries, and worked as a waitress, technical writer, and geophysicist. Now she answers a hot-line. Along the way, she’s lost several cats but acquired a husband who still loves her and three kids who’ve grown up just fine, both despite how odd she is.

All her life she has wanted to either tell these kinds of stories or be Chief Science Officer on the Starship Enterprise. She now lives and writes in the mountains of Western North Carolina, where she admits to occasionally checking her phone for a message from Captain Picard, just in case.

Find her online:
-Twitter
-Facebook
-Goodreads
-Amazon
-author blog
-book series blog

Giveaway

S.R. Cronin will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Descendant

A sci-fi romance by Melissa Ridell

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She wants her world back; he wants her heart.

Tilly Morgan and her four-legged companion, Kodiak, are just trying to survive the alien arrival. Two years ago, the visitors unleashed devastation—a world-wide EMP followed by a deadly virus that wiped out more than half of humanity.

Traversing the lonely landscape, she runs into an alien on patrol with one order: eradicate all human life. A mysterious, dark-haired stranger named Jareth comes to her aid, and she reluctantly allows him to join her quest to find her sister. He even persuades her to let the damaged alien tag along against her better judgment.

As her group travels the desolate world and inches closer to her goal, she’s forced to examine her unwanted feelings for Jareth and come to terms with her heart, even if the truth threatens to destroy her and everything she’s come to believe.

Excerpt

Jareth clears his throat. “I know it’s not much, but I like the way it feels—the earthy smell, the chalky texture. Plus, it gets cooler back in the tunnels, which makes for great food storage.” His voice bounces from the walls, projecting the sound all around me.

Shadows cast by the edge of the distant firelight flicker across his face, revealing the hollow of a small dimple in his cheek. It’s a face that’s near perfection. Too bad he had to open his mouth and ruin it.

“Like what you see, Red?”

Oh, my God. I’m going to kill this man. Blood rushes to my face, but I’m not sure if it’s from embarrassment or anger.

Pressing my lips together, I try to focus on anything that’s not him. The earthen smell he mentioned isn’t unpleasant. It reminds me of mom’s garden; digging our hands into the dark, moist soil to plant seedlings for the summer season. It’s a satisfying, honest scent.

But I’m not about to let him know that. “Kind of smells like bat crap in here.”

Hazarding a glance at his face, he nods his head, the small smile still playing about his lips. “Oh, that’s what the smell is? I thought it was body odor and dog fur.”

I will kill the jerk in his sleep tonight.

Pivoting on the balls of my feet, I stalk back to Kodiak.

Dreadful. Hateful. Spiteful man. “I hope a stalactite falls on your head.”

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An Interview with Melissa Riddell

-What inspired you to become a writer?

As a teenager, I devoured books. I think that love for reading inspired me to become a writer because I wanted to create worlds that other people, just like me, could escape into and forget their troubles for a little while.

-If you could visit your book’s world for a day, what one thing would you do?

I’d explore Jareth’s cave, because there’s a secret area farther back in the tunnels! It actually pops up again in the last book of the trilogy.

-It’s two in the morning. What does your protagonist reveal in confidence? (Don’t worry, we won’t tell.)

Hmm. If she trusted the person enough, she might reveal she enjoys Jareth’s teasing and moodiness despite her grumbles, because he keeps her on her toes. She might also admit she’s terrified when it comes to romantic relationships and getting close to someone.

-Which of your characters would you go out for drinks with?

Tilly, for sure. She’s already a riot but get a little alcohol in her system and you never know what’s going to escape her snarky mouth!

-You’re in a tavern, and a dwarf challenges you to a duel. What do you do?

I offer to buy him a pint of mead, instead. If that didn’t work, I’d lie and convince him I’ll show him the secret goldmine in the nearby mountains, because everyone knows dwarves like gems and precious metals, right? Once we stepped outside, under the cover of night, I’d smack him upside the head with my heavy, metal goblet and run. So long, sucka! Oh, but before I escaped, I’d make sure to “borrow” the little brown purse at his waist, filled with all manner of shiny gemstones and jewelry. I mean, come on—he’s the one who picked the fight; I should be reimbursed for the inconvenience. Guess he should’ve picked on someone his own size.

-Is there a genre you could never write? Which and why?

There are very few non-fiction books I enjoy, so I know I’d hate writing it, too. Also, I could probably never write any type of serious crime novel simply because I find law boring, and it would require a lot of research to get things right. Nope, I’ll stick to my favorite genres of sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal.

About Melissa Riddell

 

Melissa Riddell is from a small, West Texas town in which she still lives with her husband. Her writing career started as a hobby when she was a teenager, writing poems and short stories. Eventually, she branched out and began constructing novels. When not contemplating new story ideas, she can be found traipsing around Texas State Parks, herding her cats, or reading a book.

Find her online:
-Facebook
-Twitter
-Instagram
-Goodreads
-website

Giveaway

Melissa Riddell will giveaway to randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter a $10 Amazon/BN GC, a signed copy of The Descendant (book 1), or an ARC of the second book in the series.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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