Sci Fi Romance / Steampunk
Date Published: 2/25/13
Prince Cole meets Samantha when she walks down the aisle. Though she seems like the polished women he is familiar with, there is something different. She is complicated and full of mystery. Her dowry comes with a promise of air ships and mech capable of defense against their common enemy and for his country to survive, he must unravel her secrets. It is only when each accepts their destinies can they save their people from the plans of the Fate Sovereign.
Book Excerpt
“King Arnold, a pleasure.”
Samantha curtsied low, holding the layers of her blue, lace trimmed
dress up from the floor. The handmaid had done a tremendous job of tightening
her corset. Multi-colored stars popped before her eyes with the movement.
“None of that now. We’re family.” The King’s kind voice and
hand guiding her back up put her at ease. He stood in the doorway of her and
Cole’s bedchambers. Images of him in red coattails flashed into her mind, and
she pushed them back. Today, he wore a grey morning coat, complete with a red
striped waistcoat and ascot. The ruby eyes and toothy grin of a gold dragon
head peaked at her from the crook of his arm where his cane rested.
He took her hand, kissing the gloved fingers, then wrapped
them around his elbow to lead her to the balcony. “And how are you this morning
daughter-in-law?”
“I’m well. Thank you for asking, King Arnold. And you?”
“Doing well, my dear.” He patted her hand as they reached
the balcony where Cole stood, fidgeting with his tawny waistcoat. Under her fingers,
Samantha felt the King tense. He and Cole nodded to each other, but no words
were exchanged in salutation. Cole pulled out her chair, and both men helped
her settle for their family breakfast. As the men took their seats, they
continually eyed each other, like one expecting a tame tiger to turn man eater
at any moment.
Thankfully, the servants began uncovering today’s dishes,
and the men were distracted by bacon.
Author's Guest Post
It’s very important when you enter a new land to understand
the colloquialisms of the culture. This is no different in fiction than it is
in real life. The two main
kingdoms in Fate War, Arborea and Perspicia, share similar curses.
Understanding how to use them properly will greatly enhance your experience.
The first word you need to know is “clinker”. Clinker is the
waste from burning coal. It’s also a curse word that means “something foul”. One might use this word as a standalone
curse when the situation is unpleasant. For instance, if the wind catches your
parasol and it flies away, you might yell: “Clinker!” It can also be used as an adjective. While describing
someone of little intelligence you might refer to them as a “clinker head” or
possibly “clinker for brains”.
A related word is “ashpan”. An ashpan collects clinker, and in the case of cursing, is
used as a descriptive noun for someone distasteful. If a carriage driver splashes mud on your freshly pressed
waist coat, you might refer to him as an “ashpan’”. You will also probably feel
“steamed” at him.
A rather distasteful curse is, “piston pumper”. This curse refers to a person who
indulges in self pleasure. It is specifically used to describe someone who is
self-absorbed and treats others unfairly.
The last and most frequently used curse is, “slag”. Slag is
the useless byproduct of smelting ore. I have been informed by my British
friends that this word has a different connotation in England. However, in Fate War, “slag” refers a
very distressing situation. For instance, if the entirety of the Fate Army is
advancing toward you and you are unarmed, you might utter the singular,
“Slag!” You could also use the
verb form and yell, “I’m slagged!” If your mother-in-law is berating your wife,
you could tell her to, “Shut the slag up.”
All of the above can be combined. If a person really irritates you, you can call them a “slagging
ashpan”. If you are really, really upset, you might combine them all with a
little improvisation. It would be
something like this. “You mother-slagging-ashpan-clinker-faced-bastard!”
Whichever curses you choose to employ, remember to use them
sparingly. Curses used too often lose the impact which they are intended. Every
word, in all languages, is important. But using the right word in the right
situation makes them meaningful. Congratulations on learning Fate War curses
and good luck using them as you enter my world.
Who is E.M. Havens? I’m a lot of things. The word that seems to define me most at the moment is mom.
It can be all consuming. Not only am I a mom of three (one of them is a teenager…pity me), but I also
home-school (pity me more). I share this awesome responsibility with the love of my life, best friend,
and soul-mate husband.
Add to that, the twenty-five chickens, twelve turkeys, ten guineas, nine pigs, three barn cats, two
Great Pyrenees guardian dogs, a Chihuahua, a house cat, and a goose, it makes for one crazy, full, and
certainly entertaining life.
Somewhere in there I find the time to write. I started out young writing poems, then moved on to
songs. I actually have a Bachelor in Music with a secondary in Science because I can’t stand English. Yes,
the writer hates English. I like to read the story for the experience of reading the story, not to nitpick
each letter and comma. But I digress.
I eventually found blogging and really enjoyed sharing my life that way. When an unfortunate turn of
events separated me from my music equipment, I decided to use my overactive imagination, my love
of reading, and my new found hobby, prose writing, to release some of my creative energy. I wrote my
first novel and loved the experience. Fate War: Alliance is actually the second novel I wrote and the first
to be published. Now I’m working on my third and several sequels to Fate War!
So that’s pretty much me, sitting in the Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma, reading, writing, collecting
eggs from the coop, and being a schoolmarm. It’s a pretty great life.
Thank you Marissa for hosting me today!
ReplyDeleteyou're very welcome!
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