 |
| ...vibrant, funny, poignant... |
I’m soon to launch The
Bull At The Gate, the second in the Torc of Moonlight trilogy of mythic occult thrillers, and as part of the
pre-launch promotion I’m discounting Beneath The Shining Mountains to 99c/77p to give readers a taste of my writing
style.
Due to this being a time-sensitive discount it only applies
to Amazon. Those who read via Nook, Kobo, iBooks, etc can use the Coupon
Code HL73P at the Smashwords checkout to gain the same price – but only until 03 March. Get
it while you can!
In a previous guise for a mainstream publisher, Beneath The Shining Mountains sold
30,000 copies in paper format and has gained good reviews since my rights
reverted and it was launched as an ebook. In this excerpt the young heroine Moon Hawk and
her new husband, Winter Man, are travelling with the people and hoping to cross
a swollen river at daybreak.
~~
The people had
wrapped themselves for sleep long before, but there was still much movement to
be heard. Coughing from a sick person, the fretful whimpering of a young child.
A grandmother sang to comfort it, and those who listened added their voices
softly to hers. Horses snorted and stamped. The dogs barked at nothing and
themselves, and at a distant wolf which scented them and recalled them to the
wild. Above all, hissing as if a giant serpent, the river surged relentlessly
by.
“Have you
vermilion to paint your wrists and ankles?” Moon Hawk whispered. She felt her
husband chuckle. “Do not laugh! The water monsters will remember and seek you
out.”
“I’ve crossed
wider rivers than this, and I’ve never needed to paint red stripes about my
wrists to protect me from water monsters.”
“Then your
Medicine must be very strong. Twice I’ve mourned relatives who were dragged
beneath the surface by them.”
A kiss brushed her
lightly on the cheek, repeating along her jaw towards her ear. Winter Man’s
voice became more tolerant. “If it will make you happy, you can paint my wrists
with the protection in the morning.”
She felt his hand
move behind her back, his slim fingers fanning over her skin, the pressure of
his touch intensifying, drawing her towards him. Her heartbeat began to rise,
her palms reaching to stroke the warm contours of his chest.
“If you want,” he
murmured, “you can paint me tonight. Any color you’d like.”
She smiled, seeking
his lips with her own. He could laugh at her, she didn’t care, just as long as
he was safe, and in her arms.
~~
Despite living in England,
Linda Acaster has always been fascinated by the past lives of the native
peoples of the American northern plains, and for many years was a re-enactor giving
talks to schools and community groups.
Keep abreast of her book launches and offers by following her website or signing up there for her Newsletter. If you enjoyed this post, why not share it via Twitter below? Thanks!
6 comments:
Tweeted it, Linda! Good luck!
Hey, thanks, Lindsay. Good on you!
If anyone wants to ask a question about the book or... er... my weird hobbies, feel free. I *will* be back!
Ok, Linda - you mention body painting in the excerpt. Have you ever written about characters with body paint/tattoos? Have you ever been tempted to have a design painted or tattooed on yourself?
It's a great story. I read it a while ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.
LOL! Tattoo?? Not on me! And body painting takes me back to the Hippy Days of my childhood when my mother threw a fit when I stuck a flower in my hair. Ah, innocence...
Various northern plains peoples practised tattooing, often to denote something specific in their lives. They painted themselves (often grease & pigment) again to denote a specific - for instance, men used colours and pictography the way our armed forces use medals and citations. Feathers were used by some peoples for the same effect, hence a "war" bonnet was actually a headdress denoting coups achieved - and, more importantly, living to tell the tale.
This, and much more, is explored in the novel as Winter Man realises where his responsibilities lie, to Moon Hawk, and to his people.
Thanks, Stuart. Great for you to call by and say so!
Post a Comment