Thursday, October 17, 2013

In Dreams... The Solitary Road Excerpt & Giveaway

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In Dreams... The Solitary Road
S.I.Hayes

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: S.I.Hayes

Date of Publication: October 1, 2013

ISBN-13: 978-1491092118 
ISBN-10: 1491092114

Number of pages: 206

Word Count: 45k

Cover Artist: S.I.Hayes and Eri Nelson


Book Description:

Dumped in a treacherous Arctic land, Amara Dagon must master her spell craft if she is to survive a year in exile, but fear, doubt and the loss of her family threatens to take hold. Can Amara gain control of her magic or will she succumb to it leaving her people in the hands of a dangerous tyrant?


Excerpt:

She stood with the Queen in her hands, humming as she had been taught by her tutors. The Queen darted from her hands, flitting this way and that, as it did so, the other Hymenopteria began to awaken from their long cold time slumber. The swarm rose, filling the sky. Amara stood frozen, her fear holding her and her voice at the gate of silence. She could not continue the hum or the chat that should have followed. Her fear was too great; the idea that this insect could kill her in moments overwhelmed her. The swarm came in a rush, down upon the masses of people. Pandemonium ensued. They ran. Ran into their homes, headed for the water, others high tailed it to the Inn on the hillside. Rosaline had no choice but to step in, she took Amara’s place in the center of the swarm, wrapping her arms protectively around Amara.

“Jeremiah! Come take her, wrap her in your garb. Keep her from the queen! She will seek her out!” Amara’s mother’s voice was filled with demanding concern. Jeremiah did as he was told, staying low to the ground avoiding the insects’ stings.

Within a few moments, Rosaline had stopped the swarm, her presence seemed to be all that was needed, when it was over and all was calm, three people were dead, including Carrola, Beatrice’s youngest child.

To make matters worse, because Amara was unable to finish her final initiation, the task of calming them, there was no alternative, their appeasement could only be held firm with smoke and blood.

This was the isle’s way, so said Rosaline, according to her Priestess texts, which were conveniently translated by Beatrice. Stating that if ever the insects failed to calm in the presence of a High Priestess it was because the Divine Goddess wanted a libation. In the past this had been done regularly, to keep the flow of Trialade in check, but the last time was more than sixty years ago.

A choice had to be made, either it was to be the blood of the initiate, or the blood of the father. Since Amara was an only child, and Jeremiah had forfeited his pervious life to become High Priest, he knew it was his duty to keep Amara safe. He would keep his promise to her, in the only way he could. He sacrificed himself, so that she would be spared. He never dreamed that Rosaline’s cruelty could go so far...

As part of the ritual to appease the Divine, Jeremiah was beaten, first publically lashed by Rosaline and Beatrice, while Amara was forced to watch. When this was done, he was taken away by guards who all but crippled him. Once the pyre had been created, he was dragged to its base, lugged up the steps, and tied by guards, a few of whom were visibly in tears.

In the time of Nathan, and Jeremiah, the treatment of men, was a far fairer time. Before them, stories were told of atrocities as the one now witnessed happening on a far larger and more frequent scale. The entirety of the Isles people were gathered as the ritual played out. Amara was held tightly by Amaranth, and handed a torch, she was to be the one to light the fire. Adorned in white robes she was pushed forward, the torch in her hand, as Rosaline chanted. The words escaped Amara as she looked into her fathers bloodied face. She couldn’t do it, even as the man nodded, giving her permission. Amara collapsed, hoping that this would end it, but she was dragged away screaming for her father, as Rosaline, glared at her, then took up the torch, and finished it. The kindness of Amara’s world ended in that instant.
About the Author:

I am the Co-Author to Awakenings: The Wrath Saga, a paranormal drama likened to Big Brother meets The Real World, of the Preternatural.

I'm currently working on the sequels to In Dreams... Due for release in 2014.
I have a mind that is easily distracted and prone to wandering. Tangents are my forte, and if you think my characters are going to fit a cookie cutter shape of any kind, think again. They live, they love, they eat, sleep and fuck. I believe that people are inherently sexual creatures and my characters be they human or something all together else are no exception.

I don't adhere to a single genera, I toe the line on several and wouldn't presume to be a master of any. So I suppose you could call me jack-of-all-trade-paperbacks.
I am a truth seeker, in my life, in my work. I’d apologize for it, but I kinda can't help m’self. It's my best and worse personality trait, well mostly, being Bi-Polar I guess you could say that is the worse. But I believe that the disorder has made me, well... Me.

I have taken this life and twisted, carved, shaped and molded it in to the worlds of my characters. Albeit with a chainsaw, and it has made all the difference




 

Giveaway:

Check out this great giveaway.  There are some great prizes.

3rd place Prize 5 opportunities to win, e-book copies of Both Awakenings The Wrath Saga written by Will Van Stone Jr and S.I.Hayes, as well as S.I.Hayes' New Novella In Dreams... The Solitary Road. 

2nd Place 4 winners will Receive Paperback Copies of Both Titles.

Grand Prize winner will receive Signed Paperback copies of the titles, a T-shirt from the Wrath Saga Shoppe and a small bag to contain it all also from the shoppe...

Just use the Rafflecopter below to enter the giveaway.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

1 comment:

  1. Thank You so much for Hosting!! You Picked great Excerpt as well!! Hope you enter the Giveaway yourself!!

    ReplyDelete