Welcome to another Sunday with Weekend Writing Warriors. Meet writers in various genres and read 8-10 sentence snippets of their stories. Find a new author and sample their work. Enjoy!
I am continuing snippets from my new medieval romance set in fourteenth century England in and around my hometown of Reading.
You can read the first lines in last week’s snippet - https://auroraspringer.blogspot.com/2019/05/what-about-medieval-romance-with-touch.html
My heroine Audrey and her cousin Margaret have taken a pilgrimage to Glastonbury Abbey. This week, I have skipped a few paragraphs describing their devotions in the cathedral. They have left the Abbey gates and are walking back to the hostel (an inn for pilgrims). On the way, they run the gauntlet of beggars again.
Please excuse a minor misuse of semicolons to fit 10 sentences. Also, note this version is an early draft and unedited.
As our party approached the hostel where we had lodged, I caught
sight of an old woman holding the hand of a small child. They stood apart from
the majority of beggars; their dresses were neat, although frayed at the
sleeves. The woman’s wrinkled face had a resigned expression; her blind eyes
stared straight ahead and she leaned on a stick. The child was a fair-haired girl
of perhaps five years of age, the same age as my dear Ellen when the Lord took
her from me. A pang of sorrow pierced my heart and I resolved to give this
woman a silver coin.
Beckoning to the blind woman, I said, “Old mother, come closer.”
She did not react, but the child fixed forlorn eyes on me and
tugged at the woman’s hand. With the child’s encouragement, the woman hobbled
forward, tapping the ground with her cane at each step.
I held out my hand with two silver pennies on my palm.
Releasing her grip on the child’s small hand, the old woman
touched my fingers lightly and felt her way to the coins; she curled her
fingers around the gift, and bent in an awkward curtsy.
Draft Blurb:
In
fourteenth century Britain, Dame Audrey enjoys her independence as the widow of
a cloth merchant. Her demure dress hides a fiery and compassionate spirit. When a dying traveler
gives her a curious brooch with a green dragon, she vows to find its true
owner. The strange jewel attracts trouble from thieves of all ranks and the
attentions of a handsome yeoman, Selwyn Sage. She sees no advantage to a second
marriage, but the unmarried merchants have other ideas. They covet the young
widow and her prosperous business and plan to force her into wedlock. Can
Audrey evade the schemes alone or must she accept Selwyn’s help to survive the
greedy ruffians and fulfill her oath?
This month, I’m celebrating my fifth anniversary as an indie author. Two of my books are discounted for the entire month.
Grand Master’s
Pawn, Book 1 in the Grand Masters’
Galaxy
SciFi Fantasy - Super psychics in space. One
young woman challenges the super psychics ruling the galaxy, and finds an
impossible love
The Lady is Blue, Book 1 in Atrapako on Eden
SciFi Romance. Feisty scientist solves puzzle
of scaly aliens on the remote planet of Eden.
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Please return to www.wewriwa.com to sample the works of the other writers.
Great emotion and description in this snippet!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you approve.
DeleteYour details really help to set the medieval tone.
ReplyDeleteThanks. That is my intention. Otherwise readers could think it was set on an exoplanet!
DeleteHmmm, nice reveal of backstory. I wonder where these two strangers might fit in (if they do) later.
ReplyDeleteAudrey's generosity to the old woman initiates an element of magic.
ReplyDeleteI could certainly visualize the scene from your powerful description. Really a well done snippet!
ReplyDeleteThanks again. I wish I could write faster.
DeleteTerrific descriptions. The tiny bit about her lost child got to me. Way to weave in backstory. Just enough for a strong emotion.
ReplyDeleteThat's my idea. She loves her independence as a widow, but it won't give her a child.
DeleteGreat imagery of the whole scene. Very sad backstory.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I'd better an a epilog where she has a child.
Deleteoh, beautifully written with great descriptions.
ReplyDeleteWhy, thank you.
Delete