Friday, December 8, 2023

BEFORE THE BATTLE: EXCERPT - LIGHT OF THE GODS

 


Javrik, son of a nomad clan chieftain, has always known he would have to take his father's place one day.  But he never expected to have to lead his clan in war.  Luckily, as if by the favor of the gods, he finds an Omani cavalry patrol led by Arman Garimandi just in time to try to save his people.  But Javrik also has a young and innocent sister who sees their captain as something more than human.

                       ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"They had filled the mountaintop with the aromatic smell of arrow shafts being formed—hundreds of men fletching arrows and attaching heads of metal because Helsum had forges and molds for those, creating something far more lethal than the old flint arrowheads.

Garimandi looked longingly at one of his crossbow bolts, for which there were no molds.

"Wish we had more of these. But many a man has been killed with a good longbow."

Javrik barely glanced up.   "True. We don‘t have the conveniences of your army, I‘m afraid."

The captain resumed scraping a cedar shaft.  "You never needed them. Helsum does well with what he has."

He was crafting what would become arrows with considerable expertise, apparently not handicapped by their primitive materials even while disparaging them. Clearly, he had done this before.

"My men will take out those who appear to be officers with our bolts," Garimandi said, "to reduce their command. What you need is three-sided ranked fire with longbows."

"Ranked fire?"

"Station your men center, left and right on both cliffs, three rows deep. Direct their fire center, left and right, into the Domidians. That way, you are not wasting arrows aiming at the same targets. As each row fires, the one behind should loose in rotation while the previous one notches again."

"Like scything," Javrik said, comprehending at once.

"Exactly. It is very difficult standing up to that sort of fire. Tell your clan leaders."

"Spiked spears at the barricade," the captain went on.  "Archers behind. Do not hurl them unless you must, because we can‘t replace them. Instead, impale whatever the archers cannot stop. Protect the stone throwers with your lives. They can take out more men at one blow than you can with twenty arrows."

"Oil?" Javrik inquired, but the Omani shook his head.

"Ineffective at this height. Not enough will reach the target. Spread pitch at the base of the cliff and use fire arrows."

He nodded to a small pile of metal arrowheads neatly arranged beside shafts and vats of oil holding rags.  "I don‘t have many of those, unfortunately, and Helsum doesn‘t have the right forges. But they will affix quickly to a shaft notched to hold them. Light the rag and when it is blazing, fire into the pitch. Coat your boulders to form a fire wall and let it spread."

It was an arsenal, all neatly assembled atop the cliff and, Javrik assumed, on the top of Little Man, as well.

"You have done this before?" he inquired.

"We nearly did it at Xanthus," the captain replied.  "Magistri stopped us so we didn‘t burn down the city with the people inside. He relieved the maggot in command."

"You had to clean it out by hand?"

"Yes, but we still had a city. However..." He passed a completed shaft to an Arak waiting to attach the head and feathers.  "We know some got out to the west, toward the ocean. They are the ones who will attack you. Your watchers can see to the south, so that is not where they will come. Their scouts will have seen your mountains and know you can see them, so they will stay west and come at you from that direction. You will have very little warning."

"So all our preparation was in vain?"

"Not in vain. You were correct that they were not heading east, back to Domidia. We have troops over there. No, they‘ll head for these mountains, kill everyone here and turn into an army of bandits. It will take us twenty years to clean them out, if we ever can. Better to stop them now."

Javrik rocked back on his heels, taken aback in more ways than one, but the young captain smiled at him.

"I serve a large army, friend. I was receiving dispatches constantly until I left the south to come with you. The enemy is west, the Havacians are west, and both are trying to reach here. It‘s a simple matter of who gets here first. Because our troops were tied up in Xanthus, I am betting it is the Domidians. We will be relieved, but we have to hold out until help can get here. Meanwhile, get your people up this pass."

"You are well informed for a mere captain," Javrik observed.

 Garimandi just gave him a flat look.  "This is my job."

"So you stay here?"

"They can send Alcinis and Havacians back home and from what I have heard, they are eager to go. But to run Omana, they will need men who speak Omani. That makes it likely I will stay. Does it bother you so much?"

"That does not bother me."

"What does, then? The fact that your sister seems to like me?"

"She is my sister."

"Yes, and since she is, I suggest you get used to me. If theDomidians kill me, that‘s one thing. If you do, that is another."

That was a plain enough threat, and Javrik didn‘t think he was bluffing. It did hint, though, that he had more of an interest in Sange than merely bedding her. The man might actually be serious. But his father had taught him to have a suspicious nature and, aside from her obvious physical appeal, Javrik wondered why.

"You did not kill me when you could have," he conceded. "I will not kill you or cut off your balls, unless you hurt her. And then I will."

"Save your strength for the enemy." Garimandi squinted at the sun, which had gifted them with a rare appearance.  "They will be here soon enough."


First Review:  "Light of the Gods" by Miriam Newman is a fantastic read! It's a captivating story that will transport you to a mythical world filled with intriguing characters and epic adventures.

Join the blog tour for this new book and enter the drawing for a $20 Amazon/BN gift certificate at https://elainepcantrell.blogspot.com/2023/12/light-of-gods.html

  


Tuesday, December 5, 2023

BLOG TOUR: LIGHT OF THE GODS

Goddess Fish Tours will present Light of the Gods, Book 1 of The Sahra Chronicles, on tour beginning December 4, 2023.  

A stand-alone spin off from the historical fantasy series The Chronicles of Alcinia, Light of the Gods features nomads, raiders, warriors and lovers caught up in the shadow of mystical Grandfather Mountain.

Javrik, son of a nomad chieftain, has known his wife for only a month when he must defend her.  Arman, warrior from a distant land, finds himself fighting for people he has never known in a place he never imagined.


 You can find the tour at the following and enter a drawing for a $20 Amazon gift certificate at any or all blogs:

December 4: Kenyan Poet
December 5: Eye-Rolling Demigod's Book Blog
December 5: Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read
December 6: It's Raining Books
December 7: Westveil Publishing
December 8: Hope. Dreams. Life... Love
December 11:Sandra's Book Club
December 12: Girl with Pen
December 12: Dawn's Reading Nook
December 13: Long and Short Reviews

December 13: Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
December 14: Literary Gold
December 15: The Avid Reader


Hope to see you there!

Sunday, October 29, 2023

NEW RELEASE - FANTASY HISTORICAL ROMANCE: LIGHT OF THE GODS

 In ages gone by, the gods of the mountains had split the earth in two.

Now that passage must form a barrier against invaders.  Javrik, clan chieftain's son, has known his wife for only a month when he must defend her.  Arman, soldier from a far-off land, finds himself fighting for people he never knew existed.  The lives of nomads, raiders, warriors and lovers are changed forever in the shadow of Grandfather Mountain.


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLLDGV7B

Friday, September 1, 2023

RESCUED!

Today, author Marcia James features a true story of dog rescue at her blog, which more customarily--and delightfully--features hot, humorous romance.  

Author Miriam Newman shares Marcia's interest in rescue and has penned the tale of Dancer, her first and unforgettable rescue dog.  It's the story of what happens when you go to your local shelter to adopt some cuddly little dog and come home with a pit bull.

You can also see covers for the historical fantasy series "The Chronicles of Alcinia" and enter a drawing for a free book of your choice at https://marciajames.net/2023/09/01/miriam-newman/




Sunday, June 18, 2023

COVER REVEAL: THE SAHRA CHRONICLES BOOK 1 - LIGHT OF THE GODS

 It isn't exactly the betrothal of the century.

"Salut!"  Auntie had appeared like magic with a flask of spirits and four elaborately carved goblets reserved for the occasion.  Once tea was replaced by something stronger, the bargain was truly sealed.  The shaman would solemnize their agreement, but they were pledged.  And so, in a plains man's tent in the middle of their festival and on the cusp of war, Sarai became the wife of Javrik, whom she had known for half of an afternoon."


Coming soon - Book 1 of The Sahra Chronicles - an ancient worlds historical fantasy romance - Light of the Gods.






Sunday, October 2, 2022

ARE YOU PSYCHIC? ADVENTURES IN THE PARANORMAL


I want to thank my very good friend Miriam for letting me share her amazing blog! It is such an honor. We love you, girl!

I am releasing a Special Edition of my paranormal romantic comedy of disasters, A Ghost of a Chance to celebrate my return to writing after too many years. 

I'm giving away 2 signed paperback copies of the new edition, plus a very special Halloween gift to one lucky commenter today! Please leave those comments below for a chance to win... and...

ARE YOU PSYCHIC? ADVENTURES IN THE PARANORMAL...
by Minnette Meador

Reggie shrugged and rubbed his nose with a long forefinger. “The succubus is drawn to powerful men…psychics.”

“That’s horseshit, Reggie. I’m no psychic.”

Reggie nailed him with a stony gaze and chuckled under his ghostly breath.“Let’s see… you see dead people. Not only do you see them, but you talk to them as well. As a matter of fact, some of your best friends are dead. Sounds rather psychic to me. But what do I know?” 

Keenan licked his lips. “Oh.”
A Ghost of a Chance, Chapter Three, Imbibbing Spirits

When I was a teenager, it was the 70’s when ESP, clairvoyance, and telekinetics made a big splash in the US. I had a teacher who was really into psychic abilities, and he asked some of us to participate in an experiment with a friend of his. His friend happened to be a very well-known professor of psychology at Portland State University. There were about ten of us who volunteered to do the gauntlet of ESP or Psy tests at the university. Two of us had very high readings and moved on to another set of tests. I had the highest ESP readings in the group. Now, honestly, I think a lot of it had more to do with my ability to read micro facial expressions and something else I’ve had all my life: I’m a witch.

No, not that kind of witch. I’m what some call a Dowser or Water Witch. For some reason, my neurons are arranged in some very strange configurations and my body acts like a kind of conduit for energy, whether it’s electricity, moving water, or even emotions. I can find water, metal, electricity, and sometimes even nothing. It’s not exactly rocket science and, to tell the truth, I still don’t know precisely how it works. I just know it does.

Because of it, I have a gift for reading people, not only by their faces but also by the energy they are emanating. Weird, huh? I’m very good at reading emotions, especially very strong ones, only because they create a stronger emotional “current.” This makes it very hard to be in crowded places, like malls, movie theaters, etc.; crowds give me a splitting headache. However, I’ve learned to control it over the years. Now, for those of you who think this is magic, it’s very scientific; it’s just that I can feel magnetic fields that others can’t. You should have seen me the first time they put me in an MRI; I scared the tech out of his wits when I could tell him exactly where the scanner was on my body. I wasn’t supposed to feel anything.

In my book, A Ghost of a Chance, my wonderfully funny protagonist, Keenan, has abilities himself. He can see ghosts… and not just one or two; he sees them all. He puts out streetlamps as he walks by them when he’s angry or upset (which my husband swears I do all the time – he actually watches for it). On top of this, he has an uncanny ability to save the world, even though he doesn’t know it... or want it!

So, what about you? Are you psychic? Do you know someone who is? Are you the kid with all the gnarly powers? Tells us about it. You’d be surprised how many of us have them… or how many of us deny them. Share your experience... I LOVE a good psychic story! M;o)



Thursday, September 15, 2022

Writing Slump? Me Too!

 


Life comes in seasons. Busy ones. Delightful ones. Then there are the seasons in which your creative well runs dry. Sigh. If you're in a creative drought, you're not alone. I'm in one as well. So for this month, let's chat about some ways to be creative when the muse has gone on vacation.

Don't Stress

First things first, this is completely normal. Anyone who has been writing for a while will tell you the same thing. There are times in which the words practically write themselves and then there are other times where the words run and hide. Don't stress yourself out about this. These droughts are temporary even if they tend to come at the worst times.

Chat Things Through With Your Writer Friends

Sometimes the only thing you need is one really good conversation with another creative type. Just about every writer I know loves to offer up story ideas, so running your story (or lack thereof) ideas by another writer can stir up possibilities you had never even considered before.

Take a Break

Sometimes your brain is trying to tell you that it needs a second to just exist. And it's perfectly okay if that second turns into a couple of weeks. While having a habit of writing daily is wonderful, sometimes our every day lives take up all of our creative juices leaving nothing left to create amazing story-verses with. So, if your brain is telling you to take a break, listen.

Go Outside

Nature is magical. Taking a long walk can stir up all kinds of the awesome ideas, not to mention it is a great way to destress. I highly recommend getting outside for a bit when you're feeling stuck whether it be pulling weeds in your garden to hiking a mountain, sometimes the thing you mind needs most is a little bit of everyday magic.


What is your favorite way to get unstuck when you're in a slump? Comment below! And as always, happy writing.