How did it get to be December already? How?
Where did all my weeks go?
Where have all my weekly posts gone?
Yeah, the past month is a fog to me. But as I scrolled through my scheduled posts, I realised it’s been a while since I did an “Introducing …” post. Two months since the last one, to be exact. Lately, there always seems to be something that clashes with them (like the up-and-coming Mating Game Bloghop, and Kelley Gerschke’s cover reveal) or the massive writing bout that was November, so “Introducing …” shall continue on it little hiatus until the 20th of December.
For the moment, I’m still riding on the high that is Dark One’s Mistress and the final few chapters that I’ve left to edit in it. As it is, the word count is slowly creeping it’s way up to 71k. I’m hoping that will be it’s final count before I slip into the querying stage (which, I know, is some time off yet. There’s so much to do before then).
Anyway, as a congrats to me, I’m going to share a snippet from it’s first editing round with all of you. ^_^
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The heavy tramp of boots echoed through hall, preceding the wane glow of candlelight coming from around the corner ahead. Clara halted in the middle of the corridor. She needed to hide. But where? Going back would take too long.
The hall was pocked with closed doors. No sound came from the rooms they shut off. Could she hide in one and wait? She fled to the nearest doorway. The handle turned at the softest of jiggles and she hastened inside, gently pushing the door shut behind her.
She listened for the man’s passage. The muffled thump of the unseen seeker’s steps palling as a steely hiss issued from within the room. Fear of what stood behind her put a lump in her throat, choking off any thoughts of crying out.
“Don’t move.”
Clara halted in the act of turning to face the sound. Only now did she note the warm light flickering in the hearth, its smoky aroma adding to the soapy smell in the air.
“Step away from the door. That’s it. Now turn around. Slowly.”
She did as the deep voice commanded. Fast flattening herself against the wall as the blade of a sword came into sight. It was held steady before her, tip glittering in the candlelight. Her gaze travelled down the sword’s sharp length to the man on the other end.
Dark eyes blazed with barely restrained fury as they regarded her from under a wet mop of black hair. “Who are you?” he asked, teeth clenched and lips barely moving. “Who sent you? What are you doing here?”
“No one sent me anywhere. I –” Her eyes snapped back to stare at the sword’s lethal tip as it twitched. “I was brought here against my will.”
“You?” The sword lowered, tip brushing against the rug. One dark brow rose, the glint in his eyes intensifying as his gaze slowly ran over her once more. “They picked you to be my mistress?”
This is our new Lord? No longer faced with the weapon, she risked a glance at her surroundings. Little furnished the room; a table and stool in one corner, a chair sat by the fireplace and a couple of rugs littered the floor. Two doors sat in the far walls, one shut and the other open enough to allow entry to the amber glow of candlelight.
Her gaze returned to the man before her, cheeks warming upon realising he wore naught but a towel around his waist. The light played upon his bare shoulders, seeming to delight in giving his wet skin a faint shimmer and glistening through the dark hair on his chest as much as it had it glittered on the sword’s blade.
A sharp knocked rattled the door. Clara jumped, stifling a shriek with her hands.
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Well now. Hope you enjoyed. ^_^
Aldrea Alien 