Saturday, August 24, 2019

An evil relic - snippet from DAME AUDREY for #WeWriWa #Medieval Fiction



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. The book will release next Tuesday, August 27th.

This weekend, I’m switching to the fantasy thread in the story. Dame Audrey was given a gold brooch by a dying minstrel with instructions to return it to its true owner, the Green Lady of Hawthorns, who lives near Audrey’s hometown. Audrey suspects the brooch has magical properties.

Please excuse my abuse of semicolons to fit. I have also removed some sentences to emphasize the main point.
In the hope of finding the home of the brooch’s owner, Audrey visits Redding Abbey to speak to the archivist, Canon Randolf of Mucklehurst. She shows him the brooch/medal.

     I pressed my question, “Do you know of this Lady of Hawthorns?” He might think me a simpleton, but I had no other clue to her identity.
     “No saint of that name is written in our books;” he reached for the medal. It emitted a red flare; he jerked away, crying, “Jesu’s blood, it stings,” and stuck his finger in his mouth like a babe.
     Faking astonishment, I asked, “What’s the matter?” If I understood his reaction correctly, the brooch had a means of repelling its enemies; the brooch had not attacked me, rather its light had healed my burns. I doubted it targeted good Christians; the Canon was renowned for his greed not piety.
     “Nothing; ‘tis an evil relic.” Composing his features into a false smile, he said, “Your best course, as recommended by our superiors, is to donate the heathen object to the abbey; I can absolve you from the oath you made to a pagan.”
     Slipping the brooch into my purse, I said in a sweetly pious tone, “By God’s grace, let me pray for guidance; forswearing an oath is a serious matter.”


 Dame Audrey


Blurb:
Young widow seeks true love in this vivid Medieval romance with a touch of fantasy.
     In fourteenth century Britain, Dame Audrey cherishes her independence as the widow of a wealthy cloth merchant. But several of the wealthier traders covet her profitable business and she fears they will invoke the Abbot’s authority to compel her to marry a man of their choice. Her worst nightmare is suffering under a cruel husband like the hateful jeweler, Henry Goldsmith, who has threatened to curb her lively spirits.
     Audrey joins a pilgrimage to Glastonbury to pray for guidance. The holy relics give her no inspiration nor do her fellow travelers. On the homeward journey, she aids the dying victim of a brutal robbery. She wins the stranger’s blessing and a gold brooch with a green dragon. Back in her hometown, the faerie brooch attracts trouble from thieves of all ranks and the attentions of a handsome yeoman, Selwyn Drake. As her nightmare looms nearer, she grows desperate to preserve her freedom.

     Can the magic brooch help Audrey evade the schemes to force her into wedlock or must she submit to a husband’s will?

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As always, I’ll be happy to reply to your comments.  
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22 comments:

  1. Oh, this story gets more intriguing each week. Can't wait to find out more!

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    1. Thank you. It also includes a couple of subplots with minor characters.

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  2. The brooch is a good judge of character!

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  3. Replies
    1. Thank you. I write about ordinary people caught in extraordinary situations.

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  4. so this medal can make a difference between good and bad ? What a great thing to have.

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    1. Audrey has it on loan for a while. I'm not sure about its properties. It has different effects on different people.

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  5. Audrey's very clever! Enjoyed the snippet and it definitely makes me want to read more...

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    1. Great! Audrey is a good businesswoman and appreciates honesty.

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  6. She handled him smoothly, though I rather doubt she kept him from becoming an enemy.

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  7. I love that brooch! Enjoyed the snippet and look forward for more.

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    1. Great. The brooch belongs to a faerie lady, and a pooka or fae boy is involved.

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  8. Well of course Randolf can absolve her. lol

    Nice reply, by the way. Smooth.

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    1. Thanks. She is devout in her own way and doesn't approve of his greed.

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  9. A mind of its own - how intriguing! Happy Release Day!!!

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  10. Interesting brooch! Enjoyed the snippet.

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