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Do you know what your problem is?
Sulphur knows hers. This 13th-century woman has trained as a fighter all her life in hopes of joining the army. Then, within days, both of her older sisters announce plans and suddenly Sulphur is expected to find a man to marry instead.
Is it her good fortune her homeland is gripped by fear of a pending invasion and the army now goes door to door encouraging recruits? Sulphur thinks it is. But once she’s forced to kill in a small skirmish, she’s ready to rethink her career decision. Too bad it’s too late. The invasion is coming, and Ilari needs every good soldier it has.
Once Sulphur learns Ilari’s army has made the strategic decision to not defend certain parts of the realm, including the one where her family lives, she has to re-evaluate her loyalty. Is it with the military she’s always admired? Or is it with her sisters, who are hatching a plan to defend their homeland with magic?
The problem with being a woman who fights for what’s right is that now, she has to figure out what is.
(The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters consists of seven short companion novels. Each tells the personal story and perspective of one of seven radically different sisters in the 1200s as they prepare for an invasion of their realm. While these historical fantasy/alternate history books can be enjoyed as stand-alone novels, together they tell the full story of how Ilari survived.)
Enjoy an Exclusive Excerpt
Coral and I mounted the donkeys brought by our Velka escort, and the journey changed. These small animals picked their way through the underbrush well, but expected riders to duck their heads to avoid injury from low branches. We focused on our safety as we rode, enjoying the rich earthy smell of the newly fallen leaves cushioning our path.
I could hear sounds from the lodge before I could see the clearing. Some sort of performance or sporting event occurred as people cheered. When we emerged from the thick of the trees, I saw one of the last things I expected.
Dozens of women watched my quiet sister Olivine practicing with a bow. As far as I knew, Olivine had no great skill in this arena, but here she was, with Ryalgar standing behind her, as she fired arrows into the trees with more speed than I thought possible.
I turned to Coral.
“Did you know Olivine would be here?”
“Yes, but I thought she’d be gone by the time we arrived. They planned this visit at my wedding. I didn’t know about an exhibition with her bow. I wonder if that’s why she stayed on a few extra days?”
“This makes no sense at all.” And it didn’t to me, because I had already become so steeped in the ideals of the Svadlu. Coral had no such biases. “Why is she doing this?” I asked.
“I think they’re working on a way to defend Vinx,” Coral whispered.
“Why?”
It was one of the few times in my life when my sister Coral looked at me like she couldn’t believe I’d asked such a stupid question.
About the Author:
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 eccentric 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.
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ReplyDeleteI appreciate the chance to be here on your blog.
ReplyDeleteI love the cover and the book sounds good.
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