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hrjIt's a good thing my life is busy for the next few weeks or I'd be spending all my time bouncing up and down about the forthcoming release of The Mystic Marriage. If you, too, are impatient, you can pre-order both the paper and e-book versions at the Bella website or if you're a staunch Amazon customer, you can pre-order the paper version there (Amazon Kindle has a delayed release). I know a bit too much about the numbers behind Amazon rankings to put much stock in them, but I'm a solid believer in the benefits of having fans tell everyone how much they love my books -- enthusiastically, regularly, and at every opportunity. Just saying.
And to reward those fans who are faithful followers of my blog here -- and especially those who are also following the Lesbian Historic Motif Project -- I'm going to be starting a give-away contest this Friday (when publication #100 starts appearing) and running through the release date for The Mystic Marriage (April 20). Entering will be simple: tell people about your favorite LHMP entry (or just about the project in general) and link to the blog. That's all it takes. (I'll put the technical details up on Friday and repeat them while the contest is running.)
* * *
The accusations of sorcery had been bad enough when it was only rumor and circumstance that linked them to Antuniet's alchemical work. But when Jeanne bullied Tio into sneaking a few of the tell-tale stones out of the princess's apartments, it was clear the threat ran much deeper.
* * *
Tio reached out with trembling hands and lifted the lid. They all crowded closely, peering at the contents as if it held the secrets of the ages. Barbara was the most practical and brought a lamp over. Some of the stones seemed nothing but river pebbles. Others were carved with strange symbols like ancient seals. One was coiled like a marble snake and another seemed a bright blue beetle.
“Well it’s no wonder they sent him sleep with bad dreams,” Antuniet said. “Onyx and jacinth, and there an eagle-stone. Whoever put this together knew something of what he was about. I don’t see anything that would cause real harm and much of it is mere trash.” She pointed at the beetle, careful not to touch it. “A scarab from an Egyptian tomb: nothing but glazed clay. No properties at all unless someone’s laid a charm on it. Ammonites are said to give prophetic dreams; that might have added to his distress, but I suspect it was included just for looks. These were meant to be found. Can you shift things around to show the rest?”
Tio picked the box up and shook the contents gently. Margerit gasped suddenly. “Mother of God! It’s one of yours!” She looked up across at Antuniet as if for one moment she doubted. Tio dropped the box on the table with a clatter that made them all jump.
“Give me that lamp,” Antuniet asked Barbara and held it up as she craned her head over the box. “Yes, it’s one of mine,” she said flatly. “More than one.” She moved to catch the angles of the light and pointed in one corner. “I see four of the layered stones.”
“But you destroyed the extras,” Jeanne protested. “I saw you do it!”
And to reward those fans who are faithful followers of my blog here -- and especially those who are also following the Lesbian Historic Motif Project -- I'm going to be starting a give-away contest this Friday (when publication #100 starts appearing) and running through the release date for The Mystic Marriage (April 20). Entering will be simple: tell people about your favorite LHMP entry (or just about the project in general) and link to the blog. That's all it takes. (I'll put the technical details up on Friday and repeat them while the contest is running.)
* * *
The accusations of sorcery had been bad enough when it was only rumor and circumstance that linked them to Antuniet's alchemical work. But when Jeanne bullied Tio into sneaking a few of the tell-tale stones out of the princess's apartments, it was clear the threat ran much deeper.
* * *
Tio reached out with trembling hands and lifted the lid. They all crowded closely, peering at the contents as if it held the secrets of the ages. Barbara was the most practical and brought a lamp over. Some of the stones seemed nothing but river pebbles. Others were carved with strange symbols like ancient seals. One was coiled like a marble snake and another seemed a bright blue beetle.
“Well it’s no wonder they sent him sleep with bad dreams,” Antuniet said. “Onyx and jacinth, and there an eagle-stone. Whoever put this together knew something of what he was about. I don’t see anything that would cause real harm and much of it is mere trash.” She pointed at the beetle, careful not to touch it. “A scarab from an Egyptian tomb: nothing but glazed clay. No properties at all unless someone’s laid a charm on it. Ammonites are said to give prophetic dreams; that might have added to his distress, but I suspect it was included just for looks. These were meant to be found. Can you shift things around to show the rest?”
Tio picked the box up and shook the contents gently. Margerit gasped suddenly. “Mother of God! It’s one of yours!” She looked up across at Antuniet as if for one moment she doubted. Tio dropped the box on the table with a clatter that made them all jump.
“Give me that lamp,” Antuniet asked Barbara and held it up as she craned her head over the box. “Yes, it’s one of mine,” she said flatly. “More than one.” She moved to catch the angles of the light and pointed in one corner. “I see four of the layered stones.”
“But you destroyed the extras,” Jeanne protested. “I saw you do it!”
The Mystic Marriage
Date: 2015-03-31 05:24 pm (UTC)Re: The Mystic Marriage
Date: 2015-03-31 05:35 pm (UTC)