Introducing Imprisoned in Stone

It is always exciting when two little words, "The End" are typed in a manuscript. Then the worries begin--and a shift. As authors we have to quiet the voices of our characters. Sometimes they refuse to leave and we promise to bring them back. More on that later as I have a dragon circling overhead.
But while Hatchling's Mate and Legends of the Dragshi wait for times and tides to change, another story demands to be told. Here's the opening to Imprisoned in Stone, coming autumn 2013.

The story begins:


Maerva opened eyes to a darkness, not only of her room, but of the soul. The sense of a presence held her motionless, even though she knew no entry was possible through the closed door or shuttered window. Air whispered over her skin as if someone touched her cheek. A breath later, the impression of an intruder vanished.

The roar of waves crashing against the cliff, something she had heard since birth, comforted Maerva and pushed away the residual fear. Deep breaths removed more of the tension from her body, even though her skin remained clammy from perspiration. The moon reappeared from behind its filtering curtains of haze. No longer obscured, the low-hanging globe sent a shaft of white light streaming through the window. The beam moved up the wall beyond her bed, turning the darkness into a shadowed frame. Glimmering letters written by a ghostly hand resolved into words.

They are coming.

I can sense the presence of the Brethren.

They murdered my son...my wife.

They are coming--the ones who killed me!

The message marks Maerva’s entry into the world of magic.
Thanks for joining me.

~Until next time. Helen