I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was heading to Bandera this weekend for Cowboy Mardi Gras but that the spotlight would still go on and so it is!
My guest today, fellow Pelican Book Group author, Clare Revell is no stranger to our blog. She has shared treasures with us and been in the spotlight several times. But today, Clare is sharing with us her brand new novel, Convergence so please give her a huge Welcome Back Clare!
Only the new store manager is a dead ringer for the man from those dreams. Who is John Smyth? What is his reason for coming to Headley Cross? Is he really a time traveller?
As dreams and reality converge Yvetta is in a fight for both her sanity and soul.
Extract:
Someone
was following her. The steps were light, but audible on the large grey
flagstones that lined the floor of the castle. It couldn’t be Blaize. He’d had
to go out, fulfil his duty as sheriff and deal with something in the village.
Yvetta
didn’t mind being alone. After all, as Blaize kept pointing out, with the
amount of servants he had, she’d never be truly alone. What she objected to was
being followed. She spun around, determined to have a go at whoever it was, but
there was no one there. Shaking her head, she turned back to face the other way
and crashed straight into a tall, black figure standing there.
I’m
sorry. I didn’t see you,‛ she began.
The
figure turned. The faceless, nameless one moved towards her. ‚Etta.‛
She
screamed.
Terror
filled her. She backed away. Her feet tangled in her floor length skirt, and
she reached out, struggling to regain her balance.
Her
outstretched palm caught the flame of the torch on the wall.
Pain
seared as she fell.
Her
arms flailed, legs kicked as she tumbled endlessly down, down, down.
****
Yvetta glanced at the clock as she stood in
the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil. Three AM; or stupid o’clock as she
preferred to call it. She couldn’t think, the music running through her mind
made thought impossible. Her hands shook as she tossed a teabag into her
favourite mug. Her hand hurt. She glanced down and ran her fingers over the
vivid red mark across the palm. She winced. If she didn’t know better she’d say
she’d burnt it while she slept, but she wouldn’t tell anyone it was happening
again.
It was far safer not to.
The nightmare still floated on the corners
of Yvetta’s mind. She hadn’t thought about him for years, never mind dreamed
about him anymore—until tonight. But nothing had changed—not even the dream
injuries transferring to reality. Music, dancing, the castle, and him.
Blaize—her Dancing Boy had grown to be a
man. He was tall; easily over six feet now, but he’d towered over her even in
her teens. He was a few years older than her, no more than five, but that
hadn’t mattered. His piercing gaze had shot straight through her, almost as if
he could see her innermost thoughts, which on reflection, maybe he did because
he always knew what she was thinking; and that wasn’t necessarily a good thing,
either.
Sometimes he wore his long, blond hair
spiked up, sometimes it flowed loosely across his shoulders, but tonight it had
been tied back with a simple, black velvet ribbon.
He was slimly built, but with an athletic
body encased in fawn, old fashioned breeches, dark brown knee length boots, and
a navy blue frock coat, with gold buttons. He cut a dashing figure. His white
shirt had a bunch of lace at his chin—like the highwaymen had in story books,
but Blaize wasn’t a scoundrel or cad—he was one of the nicest people she knew.
He was always accompanied by a monkey, a tiny, ugly thing with a penchant for
wearing clothes.
How long had it been since he’d crossed her
mind? Blaize that was, not the monkey. She’d been seventeen, so almost half a
lifetime, since she’d last seen him. Why now?
WOW Clare, you sure know how to hook 'em and reel 'em in! GREAT excerpt!
CLARE REVELL is a British author. She lives
in a small town just outside Reading, England with her husband, whom she
married in 1992, their three children, and unfriendly mini-panther, aka Tilly
the black cat. Clare is half English and half Welsh, which makes watching rugby
interesting at times as it doesn’t matter who wins.You can find her
at Website, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Pintrest
Until next time take care and God bless.
PamT
6 comments:
Congrats on the new novel! It really reads well, Clare. Best wishes for your continued success.
Congratulations, Clare. What an exciting spotlight.
Hi! Congratulations on your book! I enjoyed learning about you and your story. Pretty cover, too!
Wow, that cover is fantastic. And, sounds like a wonderful read. Best wishes!
Thank you for having me here Pam. And thanks to you all for you lovely comments. I can't work out how to reply individually.
Thanks greeat blog
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