Join the writers here http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com For some great excerpts. Mine is Toth's Priest, an alternate Egypt adventure.
Blurb:
Amara faces trouble and she uses a phone number given to her by a friend who has vanished. When she is offered the chance to be sent to an ancient Egypt, she accepts even though she must perform a task and risk losing her life. But here, she faces the same fate. She arrives and there is much she must learn before she can rescue a young man held by the priests of Aken Re.
Namose was taken prisoner by Hebu, beloved of Aken Re, and forced to translate ancient scrolls giving Hebu some of the powers given to the priests of Toth by the Three of the Two Lands, Toth, Bast and Horu. After his rescue, further troubles arise. He and Amara must join their powers to save their land and friends from the evil Hebu.
Excerpt:
“How
can I help you?” a woman asked.
Amara
drew a deep breath and said the words Seth had told her to say. “I need an
escape. The answer lies in my stars.”
“You’ve
reached the right place. Come and we’ll help you. This is our address.”
Amara
repeated the street and number. “Which bus comes closest to you?” She listened
carefully. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
With
caution she crept down the metal ladder. Half-way down, one of the rusted rungs
broke and a piece of metal clattered to the ground. She clung to the stairs
until she felt sure no one had heard. She reached the ground and dashed to the
street.
Seeing
a bus approaching she raced to the stop, climbed aboard, paid and requested a
transfer. She slumped on a seat and cautiously studied the other riders. Was
anyone watching her? Were any of the riders connected to Ramos?
Her
rapidly beating heart steadied. She left the bus, studied the map at the stop
and waited for a second bus, one to take her near the destination. After a
short ride, she stepped to the sidewalk. During the ride, the adrenalin rush
had faded. Her posture slumped with exhaustion. When she reached the house, she
walked up the steps and rang the bell twice.
An
elderly woman with iron gray hair and twinkling brown eyes opened the door.
“How can I help you?”
Amara
sucked in a breath. Fear warred with the desire for safety. “I need an escape.
The answer is in my stars.”
“Come
in.” The woman moved aside.
Amara
slipped into the foyer. Tension oozed from her muscles. She braced herself with
a hand pressed against the wall. She was safe. She had to believe it.
After
regaining her balance she followed her elderly escort down the hall. Framed
photographs caught her eye. She paused to study one showing a dog lying beside
a pool of clear water with rows of gray pillars in the distance.
“So
that’s the one to interest you,” the woman said. “Why?”
Amara
shrugged. “I don’t know but the scene makes me feel safe.”
“Are
your troubles desperate?”
She
nodded. More than she cared to admit to a stranger.
“I
see.” The woman beckoned. “Come and share a meal with my sister and me. Then
we’ll talk.”
Amara’s
stomach growled. “Thank you.”
“While
we eat, you can tell us about yourself.”
Amara
swallowed. Could she reveal her troubles to a stranger? For a time she’d
escaped Miguel and Ramos. Though the woman and the house soothed her fears,
could she trust them? She wondered how long the calm would last.
They
entered a large room. Amara noticed a table with six chairs. On the wall, a
huge horoscope wheel bigger than any she’d seen in the New Age shop around the
corner from the apartment caught her attention. Was she here to have her
horoscope read?
A
second woman whose hair was as white as new cotton balls and just as fluffy
carried a tray with several covered dishes to the table. Delicious aromas of
spices reached Amara.
“Help
yourself.” The gray-haired woman poured steaming cups of tea.
Amara
dished rice into a bowl and spooned a mixture of meat and vegetables over the
rice. She tasted and sighed. ”Delicious.”
“Now
tell us about yourself,” the white-haired woman said.
Amara began her story. When she
spoke about her father’s death, tears spilled down her cheeks. “He was my best
friend and teacher.”
The
oldest of the women patted her hand. “Tears are good.”
Amara
wiped her eyes on the napkin. “My mother couldn’t live without him and took her
own life. I went to live with her brother. He didn’t like my father and
tolerated me because of the money. He would have given me to the drug lord,
Ramos, to buy safety for his family.” She sighed. “Though I don’t like them I
don’t want him or his family to suffer when they learn I’m gone.”
The
gray-haired woman patted her hand. “People will search and not find you. You’ll
be declared dead.”
“I
had a friend. He gave me your number. He was an undercover cop. He vanished.
Did Seth come here?”
“He
did.” The oldest woman smiled. “He was sent to a place where he was needed.”
“Is
there a place for me?”
“Perhaps.”
The iron-gray haired woman filled a glass with a ruby liquid and set it at
Amara’s place. “Do you know the day and the time of your birth?”
Those
words brought a warm memory of the day before her father’s last deployment.
He’d shown her the combination to the lockbox and her birth record. “December
fourth at two twenty AM.”
“You
are a Sagittarian. You have a gift for handling animals, a need to see justice
and to quest for the spiritual and knowledge.”
The
women rose and walked to the double wheel. They began placing colored balls on
segments of the inner wheel.
Reviews:
A teen age girl in desperate circumstances flees into an alternate past, hoping to find a better life. Here she steps into another, just as dangerous, world, one of magicians, rival gods and spell-casting. This is the final book in a series set in an alternate past—Ancient Egypt. There is plenty of action, brave young characters, twists and turns, all set in well-researched ancient setting. Egypt, all by itself, is sufficiently interesting for many readers, but here the “alternate” adds a bit more spice. The names of real history players and gods are here, slightly changed. Juliet Waldson
February 10, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
6 comments:
Love the idea of alternate history. A fascinating thing always and with Egypt in the mix... wow.
What an intriguing story line, Janet. Sounds like a really fun read. Shared at Triberr.
Great action. I could picture this as clearly as though it were a movie.
Fabulous post - a great scene.
What a wonderful description: "white as new cotton balls and just as fluffy." So easy to visualize.
This is an interesting scene!
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