Today is the day of our Lord's Last Supper and I can cheerfully say our last Eggcerpt Exchange!
I hope you've enjoyed finding out about so many authors, books and characters in this year's blog exchange.
Today our guest is a new-to-me author, Janie Frantz with her book, The Bowdancer, so let's get right on into it....
Jan-nell, a young healer and keeper of
village lore, despairs of ever finding the child who will be the next bowdancer
or a man worthy enough to love. When a village wedding is interrupted by four strangers,
Jan-nell treats the injuries of one of them.
The leader of these men, Bastin,
is an arrogant, intelligent rogue who also is searching for an equal. His
presence questions the bowdancer's life choice and stirs more than her mind.
Eggcerpt:
The arrow flamed in a yellow arc across the night sky, like
a trailing star portending some great event. And in truth it did this night,
the night of the Great Moon of Full Summer. This night the bowdancer’s arrow
signaled a solemn rite and a village celebration—the union of Merin, the tall
horserider, and Co-rell, the blonde chosen-daughter of Wise Woman Dan-da-nell.
They were often seen among the white mares in the meadow.
Merin’s long hair flowed behind him as he raced to grab a handful of
yellow-white horse mane nearly the same color as his own. He would swing
himself upon a sleek back of one of the mares and come racing to scoop Co-rell high
onto the horse with him, cradling her in his arms like a happy squealing child.
Jan-nell, the bowdancer, knocked the last burning signal
arrow against her bowstring. She smiled as her mind composed the quatrains of
an idyll to the horserider and his bride: white against white like playful
doves, spirit folk.
When she released the arrow to call in the stragglers from
the outlying farms, she shook her head and altered her imagery. No, not spirit
folk, just sleek horses riding the meadows enjoying the fullness of coupling
and sweet grass. But this young stallion and his mare would grace the village
children’s tales and lessons. Jan-nell would see to that. Co-rell and Merin
were the stuff of legends. She would gladly give the young ones a dream. They
need not know that Merin could not speak a sentence without coloring the shade
of a retiring sun and much preferred the silent movements of horses to men.
Jan-nell had spent too many early mornings drilling Merin in
the wedding words he was to speak to Co-rell. There were only five short
speeches, but they were impossible for him to remember, much less speak them to
a woman. Finally, on this wedding morn, he had been able to say the words to
Jan-nell without much stumbling. She did not know if he could repeat them at
moon-rise to Co-rell.
Jan-nell frowned as she ducked into her solitary thatched
hut some little distance from the village edge. She wondered why she remained
with such simple wits. From a shelf above the stone fireplace she had laid with
her own hands, she brought down a pot of scented oil and set it on the hearth
to warm. Taking a small piece of cloth, she wiped the smoke from her large bow.
Janie Franz comes from a long line of Southern liars and
storytellers. She told other people’s
stories as a freelance journalist for many years. With Texas wedding DJ, Bill
Cox, she co-wrote The Ultimate Wedding Ceremony Book and The Ultimate
Wedding Reception Book, and then self-published a writing manual, Freelance
Writing: It’s a Business, Stupid!
She
also published an online music publication, was an agent/publicist for a
groove/funk band, a radio announcer, and a yoga/relaxation instructor.
Currently, she is writing her tweveth novel and a
self-help book, Starting Over: Becoming a
Woman of Power.
Questions
for Janie Franz
1. Level of
schooling: I have a BA in Anthropology.
2.
Birthplace: I was born in a tiny town in Tennessee that if you drove through it
with someone and reached down to pick up your purse, you’d miss it.
3.
Currently residing in: I currently live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I couldn’t get
away from mountains. They are different from those near my birth but mountains
just the same.
4. Favorite
place to visit: I’m torn between two cities in the Deep South. Savannah GA and
New Orleans LA. They both hold such charm and hospitality.
5. Favorite
food: A beef, bean, and rice burrito with green sauce with lots of sour cream
and a margarita. I’m a product of my new environment.
Well that is a switch, we normally get those answers from a character but I'm glad Janie did something totally different for her post! And, such interesting information too.
I hope you enjoyed this Eggcerpt Exchange. I know it's going to be a busy weekend for many, but if you get a chance be sure and drop by for Saturday Spotlight then check next week for Tuesday Treasures and Thursday Thoughts!
Until next time...take care and God Bless.
PamT
9 comments:
Hi Janie, oh, who doesn't love an arrogant rogue? Your book sounds so tantalizing! Having recently visited both Savannah and NOLA (I am a California girl) I share your sentiments about both places. When we returned home, I missed the Spanish moss so much! Good luck and God bless.
I love Savannah! Such a beautiful city! And this story looks very interesting. I wonder if your background in anthropology helped you a little bit, just knowing about ancient civilizations and their customs. Thanks for sharing your talent with us!
Savannah is gorgeous and love the St. Paddy's Day festivities. Enjoyed this post a lot!
Sounds like an interesting read...enjoyed the interview! I would love to visit Savannah some day. And, I'm right there with you on the burrito. I LOVE Mexican food. :)
I love Santa Fe and Taos! Great interview and enjoyed your excerpt.
Intriguing excerpt and interesting interview. Best of luck with your book!
Mexican food is my weakness. The salsa, the tacos, the refried beans....
I'm from Texas so you can imagine how much I eat it. Your book sounds exciting. The excerpt was great! And I just got home from Holy Thursday service. It was a wonderful tribute to the events that happened tonight. Thank you for sharing!
Mountains rock! I live in a mountain-lake community in southern VA and never tire of the scenery--both up and down. Bowdancer sounds quite other-worldly and thus fascinating. Best wishes.
So nice to meet you, Janie, and learn about you and your story. I'm with Tanya on the "handsome rogue"! Sounds like a complex and fascinating world you created. I've never visited Savannah, but Charleston, S.C., is one of my favorite cities in the Deep South. It combines that southern lifestyle with my favorite place--the beach. I do love mountains, too, though!
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