Hey, everyone! Emily Ann Ward here, author of The Protectors, a YA Epic Fantasy series. My books are touring the web right now, and I have a little something for everyone here.
First, the main character Grace's journal entries from the first few chapters of Promising Light. They are unspecific enough not to totally spoil things for new readers but fun enough for people who have read the book.
***
He’s gone. He just left. I don’t understand why. Nothing about last night made sense. I went to the bar to meet someone. I thought it was Dar, but no, it was someone else. Someone who didn't take his hood off. Someone who warned me about Dar. He knew about us. He knew about the greenhouse, the masquerade ball. I don't know how, we've been so careful. But this man said Dar was dangerous. What does that even mean?
When I told Dar, he was upset. Confusing. Saying things like, 'I should have known this couldn't last.' And he told me he was going back to Shyra. And he kissed me and left.
Maybe he was right. Maybe I should have known this couldn't last. It was just some fun for him to have on the side.
But sometimes it felt so real.
How could I have been so stupid?
~*~
The prince has asked me on a trip to Nyad. Me, Grace Ellengreen!
It's been two weeks since Dar left, and I think it's about time that I move on. He's not coming back. He obviously didn't care about me enough to stay or tell me the truth about anything.
I did hear something interesting yesterday. This bookseller woman said something about shape changers from Shyra. Legends, of course, but it got me thinking about all the silly rumors about Shyra. How poor it is. How it's overrun with crime and what if the man at the bar thought he was protecting me from all that?
Oh, it doesn't matter. I'm going to Nyad with the prince. We had a grand time last night at the castle. He's very charming. It's the most time I've ever spent with him. I just wonder, why now? Why have I caught attention now of all times?
~*~
His Majesty — Prince WIlliam who asked me yesterday to call him just "William" — and I have arrived in Nyad. We're not the only ones here, of course. Dar is here. When I try to escape him, he's still right here. Unavoidable. Although we have hardly spoken, my eyes can't help be drawn to him when we are in the same room. It's ridiculous.
~*~
Nyad was wonderful! We are, unfortunately, on our way back home already. The ride is beautiful. Governor Peter has a wonderful garden and a library with so many interesting books. We've visited the circus. It was exquisite. We saw a "wild child", a woman who was supposed to have been raised by tigers, but later, we saw her walking around like a normal person. Stranger than that was how familiar she looked.
William asked for my hand in courtship. I accepted.
And yet, I'm wondering if I made the right choice. Last night, I overhead Dar and William speaking about me in the library. It was so strange. They both know something I don't. They mentioned powers, Dar's family. . .and me. They spoke very much about me, as though my relationship with Dar were William's business.
Then we kissed. I don't know why. I said I'd leave him behind when I woke up this morning and got on the carriage, but I'm still full of questions. I know they're hiding something from me.
~*~
Well. . .I found out what Dar was hiding. And I have no idea what else to write. Is it even safe any longer to write in this? Everything has changed. I'll never see the world in the same way again.
When I told Dar, he was upset. Confusing. Saying things like, 'I should have known this couldn't last.' And he told me he was going back to Shyra. And he kissed me and left.
Maybe he was right. Maybe I should have known this couldn't last. It was just some fun for him to have on the side.
But sometimes it felt so real.
How could I have been so stupid?
~*~
The prince has asked me on a trip to Nyad. Me, Grace Ellengreen!
It's been two weeks since Dar left, and I think it's about time that I move on. He's not coming back. He obviously didn't care about me enough to stay or tell me the truth about anything.
I did hear something interesting yesterday. This bookseller woman said something about shape changers from Shyra. Legends, of course, but it got me thinking about all the silly rumors about Shyra. How poor it is. How it's overrun with crime and what if the man at the bar thought he was protecting me from all that?
Oh, it doesn't matter. I'm going to Nyad with the prince. We had a grand time last night at the castle. He's very charming. It's the most time I've ever spent with him. I just wonder, why now? Why have I caught attention now of all times?
~*~
His Majesty — Prince WIlliam who asked me yesterday to call him just "William" — and I have arrived in Nyad. We're not the only ones here, of course. Dar is here. When I try to escape him, he's still right here. Unavoidable. Although we have hardly spoken, my eyes can't help be drawn to him when we are in the same room. It's ridiculous.
~*~
Nyad was wonderful! We are, unfortunately, on our way back home already. The ride is beautiful. Governor Peter has a wonderful garden and a library with so many interesting books. We've visited the circus. It was exquisite. We saw a "wild child", a woman who was supposed to have been raised by tigers, but later, we saw her walking around like a normal person. Stranger than that was how familiar she looked.
William asked for my hand in courtship. I accepted.
And yet, I'm wondering if I made the right choice. Last night, I overhead Dar and William speaking about me in the library. It was so strange. They both know something I don't. They mentioned powers, Dar's family. . .and me. They spoke very much about me, as though my relationship with Dar were William's business.
Then we kissed. I don't know why. I said I'd leave him behind when I woke up this morning and got on the carriage, but I'm still full of questions. I know they're hiding something from me.
~*~
Well. . .I found out what Dar was hiding. And I have no idea what else to write. Is it even safe any longer to write in this? Everything has changed. I'll never see the world in the same way again.
If you want to read more, be sure to check out the series at Amazon or any other ebook retailer!
Oh, and if you missed the last few posts:
Meet the Author
Genre-Bending: If Promising Light Wasn't Fantasy
My Characters' Favorite Books
If Promising Light Were Set In Modern Day
Promising Light Excerpt
Promising Hope Excerpt
Kindle ebook of Promising Hope or if you haven't read the first book Emily Ward has offered to send you Promising Light to go along with Promising Hope! ebook only.
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Excerpt
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Excerpt
And now the except from Promising Hope! To set the scene: Grace and Amina are speaking in Grace's bathroom.
~*~
“Lady Grace?” William’s voice came from her bedroom.
Grace’s breath caught in her throat. She hurried to the door and opened it a crack, craning her head to see William standing next to her desk.
His face colored when he saw her, and he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize. . .”
“It’s all right. What did you want?”
“Excuse me, m’lady,” Amina said. She came out of the bathroom with a basket of clothes. “Your Highness.”
“You shouldn’t be speaking with her,” William told Grace.
Grace glanced at Amina, who shuffled her feet, staring at her basket. “I had to tell her.”
“You shouldn’t encourage her.” William turned to Amina and motioned for her to leave. “You won’t be waiting on her again.”
“Yes, your Highness,” Amina said, walking past him quickly.
After the door shut behind Amina, Grace asked, “Why is she still being held here?”
“They assisted in your kidnapping,” William said in a steady voice.
“I was not kidnapped.” Grace stepped into her bedroom, disregarding the fact that she wore only a bathrobe. William backed away from her, but she saw his gaze flit over her body, and she had to hold back a smile. “Just let her and Vin go; they’re harmless.”
“They’re Avialies; that’s enough to make them dangerous.” William’s jaw twitched as Grace took a step closer.
“You don’t even know them or what they’ve done.” Her heart wasn’t in the argument, though. She wanted to see how close she could get before he backed away again. He stood still as she took another step towards him.
“You shouldn’t have come back if you were so worried about them.”
Grace frowned, taken aback by his words. She stopped where she stood, a foot between them. “I came back for you.”
William studied her face. “I still don’t know if I believe you.”
“Do you think I’d lie to you?”
He laughed mirthlessly. “I have no doubt of it, if it got you what you want.”
Part of her felt indignant, and another part was sure she’d do anything to dispel his doubts. She closed the distance between them, looking up at him. “It’s you that I want.”
William didn’t respond at first. He touched her chin, running his finger down her neck, and the simple gesture caused an explosion of emotion. A chill ran up her spine; she wanted to pull him closer and kiss him.
Dar’s face and his whispered “I love you” in the Mumbar Jungle flashed through her mind. An ache of emptiness and longing spread through her heart. She sucked in a gasp. Why did she think of Dar when William touched her?
“I’ll see you at dinner,” William whispered. He turned away and left without a backward glance at her.
Grace leaned against the desk next to her, letting out a breath. She glanced down at herself, at the semi-transparent clothing that did little to hide her shape. What had she been thinking? Unwillingly, her mind drifted back to the night in Belisha and the chemise she’d been wearing in Dar’s presence. Her memories of she and Dar blended with fantasies of intimate moments with William. She groaned and touched her forehead. She had such an ache behind her eyes; she’d had it for days.
“Lady Grace?”
Grace jumped; Marisa stood by the bathroom door. “How long have you been there?” Grace asked.
“This whole time,” Marisa said, staring at the ground. “I never left.”
“Oh, goodness,” Grace said breathlessly.
~*~
“Lady Grace?” William’s voice came from her bedroom.
Grace’s breath caught in her throat. She hurried to the door and opened it a crack, craning her head to see William standing next to her desk.
His face colored when he saw her, and he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize. . .”
“It’s all right. What did you want?”
“Excuse me, m’lady,” Amina said. She came out of the bathroom with a basket of clothes. “Your Highness.”
“You shouldn’t be speaking with her,” William told Grace.
Grace glanced at Amina, who shuffled her feet, staring at her basket. “I had to tell her.”
“You shouldn’t encourage her.” William turned to Amina and motioned for her to leave. “You won’t be waiting on her again.”
“Yes, your Highness,” Amina said, walking past him quickly.
After the door shut behind Amina, Grace asked, “Why is she still being held here?”
“They assisted in your kidnapping,” William said in a steady voice.
“I was not kidnapped.” Grace stepped into her bedroom, disregarding the fact that she wore only a bathrobe. William backed away from her, but she saw his gaze flit over her body, and she had to hold back a smile. “Just let her and Vin go; they’re harmless.”
“They’re Avialies; that’s enough to make them dangerous.” William’s jaw twitched as Grace took a step closer.
“You don’t even know them or what they’ve done.” Her heart wasn’t in the argument, though. She wanted to see how close she could get before he backed away again. He stood still as she took another step towards him.
“You shouldn’t have come back if you were so worried about them.”
Grace frowned, taken aback by his words. She stopped where she stood, a foot between them. “I came back for you.”
William studied her face. “I still don’t know if I believe you.”
“Do you think I’d lie to you?”
He laughed mirthlessly. “I have no doubt of it, if it got you what you want.”
Part of her felt indignant, and another part was sure she’d do anything to dispel his doubts. She closed the distance between them, looking up at him. “It’s you that I want.”
William didn’t respond at first. He touched her chin, running his finger down her neck, and the simple gesture caused an explosion of emotion. A chill ran up her spine; she wanted to pull him closer and kiss him.
Dar’s face and his whispered “I love you” in the Mumbar Jungle flashed through her mind. An ache of emptiness and longing spread through her heart. She sucked in a gasp. Why did she think of Dar when William touched her?
“I’ll see you at dinner,” William whispered. He turned away and left without a backward glance at her.
Grace leaned against the desk next to her, letting out a breath. She glanced down at herself, at the semi-transparent clothing that did little to hide her shape. What had she been thinking? Unwillingly, her mind drifted back to the night in Belisha and the chemise she’d been wearing in Dar’s presence. Her memories of she and Dar blended with fantasies of intimate moments with William. She groaned and touched her forehead. She had such an ache behind her eyes; she’d had it for days.
“Lady Grace?”
Grace jumped; Marisa stood by the bathroom door. “How long have you been there?” Grace asked.
“This whole time,” Marisa said, staring at the ground. “I never left.”
“Oh, goodness,” Grace said breathlessly.
Bio
Emily Ann Ward is the author of Passages, Beyond Home, Finding Fiona, and The Protectors series. One of her first stories featured a young girl whose doll came to life. The rest is history. When it comes to fiction, she writes mainly young adult, contemporary, and fantasy. She also writes nonfiction, ranging from stories of her travels to thoughts on God and the Bible. Aside from writing, she’s also a content editor for Entranced Publishing. She loves reading, traveling, sociology, religion, and Reese’s sticks. Currently, she lives in Salem, Oregon with her husband Chris and their crazy cats. Visit her website at emilyannward.com.
Journals are so personal, so a great way to see the inner workings, as it were. Loved the excerpt too thank you.
ReplyDeleteJournaling is one of my favorite forms of writing to read! This sounds like a great book.
ReplyDelete