Continuing a scene from my first book, Ghosts of Innocence.
Shayla has stolen the identity of a newly-appointed senior public servant, and infiltrated the Palace in disguise. She has previously fallen foul of her new boss, Mabbwendig ap Terlion, Master of the Emperor’s Domestic Household, and is confronting her again in the cavernous staff dining hall. Mabb has been tormenting a series of unfortunate individuals among the hundreds of people crowding the hall. She called on a very reluctant member of Shayla’s staff to sing to the crowd. Shayla rescued Tanya from humiliation but in turn is expected to provide entertainment.
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"That, I will provide." Shayla leaned across the table to Bo Branson. "Access the public music library for me."
Bo's scroll appeared from the depths of her sleeve. She unrolled it on the table.
"Find 'The Serpent's Passing' from The Dragon Prince."
Jojo smiled. "My favorite opera."
"Be ready to send it to the dining room's public address when I say so." Shayla removed her boots and threw off her heavy robes, to reveal leggings and a close-fitting tunic.
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Exciting news! Nearly there! The paperback proof copy of The Ashes of Home arrived last week. I’m working through it this weekend, and if all looks good I am ready to hit ‘Publish’.
Ghosts and Ashes side by side
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15 comments:
Hi Ian - well done on being a hare's breadth from the winning post - good for you. I wonder what Shayla is going to do ... she thought quickly - cheers Hilary
Oh, what does Shayla have planned? A great snippet! And congrats on the paperbacks!
Hilary, thinking on her feet is what Shayla does best :)
Jessica, she's got something special in mind...
It would seem she came prepared for this eventuality.
Oh my, sounds like she's going to unleash something epic on them! Can't wait...enjoyed the snippet. (I keep wondering what happened to the person whose identity she's stolen - which is really effective on the author's part. I salute you!)
I'm curious to know more. Congratulations on the paperbacks.
Ed, not consciously prepared, it just happens she's always ready for action.
Veronica, to be fair, if you were to read the book you'd already know what happened to the person she's impersonating. Let's just say, safely out of the way ...
Karen, it's always a wonderful moment to hold that first proof in your hands.
Congrats on the forthcoming new release - great covers both of them, and I really enjoyed the snippet, can't wait to see what Shayla's got planned!
Hywela, I'm very pleased with the covers, and I've finally got the new book uploaded and in the process of being published.
Congratulations, Ian, on the new release/s. And I love how emails have replaced scrolls, although I rather like the thought of real parchment over digital.
The books look great side by side. Love the covers!
Denise, alas not the parchment variety. In this world, scrolls are a form of flexible computer, like a thin sheet, that roll up for easy carrying.
Jean, I aimed to make sure there was a family resemblance :)
Oh, wow. How exciting is that, holding the paperback proofs of your books! Awesome!
Wahoo! Exciting times. I've been waiting for that book, you know? The first one was epic.
Ellie, that is always a very exciting moment, when you get to see the book in book form for the first time!
Crystal, glad you're excited! It is actually available online now, I'm just waiting for all the sites to update properly then I can add the links to my website.
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