A Tale of Witchery, Enchantment and loss

Today I want to shed a little extra light on the new release– The Emerald Queen, which is now available for purchase as an eBook on Amazon.com and .co.uk and will be available with other retailers soon, and as a paperback. I’ve also got a taster at the end of this post.

Okay- So what’s this one about?

Legends of Ansu #7 is a tale of entanglement and deception, war and treachery. Seven years have passed since the harrowing conclusion to The Glass Throne. The gods are no more and an old enemy has returned to haunt the troubled nights of Queen Ariane. She sends her captain-Garland-in search of answers and hears nothing for months. Meanwhile, in the City of the Clouds, Tam the drinker and his worried wife try to hide from their past, unaware that an old adversary is seeking vengeance and their days together are numbered.

Do I need to read the other books first?

No. The Emerald Queen works well as a standalone with mainly new characters and is set in different lands. There are mentions of the events in The Glass Throne but it’s not necessary to have read that book to enjoy this one. The Emerald Queen is book 1 in a new trilogy titled Journeyman.

When will book 2 be available?

Late next year––I’m working on three separate trilogies at the moment, and there will be several new books out in 2019. The Voyage of Carlo Sarfe (Book 2 Journeyman) will follow a new Corin an Fol novel and the first in my forthcoming Northman Trilogy.

Where can I learn more about your fantasy series?

You can visit my website here follow me on Bookbub right here and join our fun Facebook Group— Legends and Longswords after liking the FB Author Page over here.

Plus…If you enjoy reading about fantasy, myths & legends, Dark Age History, Mysterious happenings, and general good stuff–why not join the weekly newsletter? You’ll be the first to know about new releases and giveaways, plus get a free copy of Gray Wolf, Corin’s first adventure. And of course, you can always unsubscribe at any time. Join the fun here. 

Below is a sample from the new book

It was dark and things reached for her, tendrils, bony stabbing fingers in the night. Branches and roots; she tripped over some and crashed into others. A wood surrounded her, deep and dark. Teret heard Sulo shout. She turned, saw him standing just yards away. A break in the cloud allowing the moon to spill ghostly light on his twisted, hate-filled features.

“I’m going to cut you open,” he said brandishing his knife so the tip glinted silver in the moonlight. “There’s no escape, bitch.”

Teret spat back at him then turned and ran. Faster than before, the trees and shrubs blocking her progress, poking and cutting her flesh, her arms lashed and unable to help her. But Sulo’s progress was checked as well. She heard him trip and roll. But cat-lithe, seconds later Sulo was closing on her again. The ground rose steeply ahead. Teret forced her shaking legs to take her up that ridge.

The rain stopped suddenly, and above the tree line ahead the moon’s shadow revealed a woman clad in pale blue seated on a rock, her face ravaged by time and her long hair pale and strewn around her shoulders.

Please––help me!

Teret blinked and the stranger vanished. Just her imagination. Fear surrounded her in this place. Easy to fall prey to terror.

Keep moving girl!

 Close behind she heard Sulo’s stifled curse––perhaps he saw her too. The strange woman in blue. Hope she scared the bastard.

Teret gained the ridge. She turned, just as Sulo’s knife slashed past her ear. Teret kicked out, caught his knee. Sulo cursed and tumbled, but seconds later was on his feet again. Teret sped along the ridge, weaving, hearing his feet crashing through the brush behind her, their chase resuming, and him gaining again.

 She could see better now and the moonlight hinted a narrow path ahead. Teret forced her way through to the deer track––at last, she could make good progress and distance herself from her enemy. She’d always been a good runner and Sulo was overconfident.

 Somewhere below Teret heard the sound of water rushing, grinding through rocks. Teret ran full pelt for several minutes then the path fell away suddenly. She hadn’t seen the cliff. For terrifying moments Teret was suspended in air. Then she was falling fast and hard, the glimmer of white-washed water rushing up to greet her.

That’s all for the moment.

Have a lovely weekend!

J. W. W.