Saturday, September 21, 2019

Sunlit graveyard - snippet from DAME AUDREY for #WeWriWa #Historical_Romance



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!

My latest novel, Dame Audrey, released at the end of August, and I’m working on two new stories in different series.
For now, I’ll continue snippets from Dame Audrey, my new medieval romance set in fourteenth century England in and around my hometown of Reading.
Audrey has discovered the sheriff’s bailiff, Selwyn Drake, praying in her parish church. He explained he was praying for his deceased wife and stillborn child.


This snippet begins a few lines later. Two women entered the nave and were staring at Audrey and Selwyn, so he suggested they leave the church. 

     Once outside the church, I stepped into the sunlit graveyard. The sounds of bartering came from the market across the main street, yet the narrow path winding between the graves was peaceful and private.
     Unconsciously, I took my usual walk in the direction of my family’s grave. The names carved in the headstone had been rinsed clean by the rains, although the daisies I had laid at the foot of the mound on Sunday had been washed away.
     I paused and placed my hand on the top of the gravestone, “My husband lies here beside our two little children.”
     He touched the polished stone and his gaze traveled over the inscription. “You are fortunate; you can pray at their grave. My family’s tomb is far away.”

 Audrey

Reviewers say:
“…one of the very sweetest stories I’ve read in a long time.
“…a truly enriching experience for all those who love history.

DAME AUDREY is Discounted to 99c until Sept 30th: Amazon  iBooks  Kobo  B&N  GooglePlay


As always, I’ll be happy to reply to your comments.  
Please return to www.wewriwa.com to sample the works of the other writers.

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24 comments:

  1. Such a poignant snippet. Having red the previous one as well, I can see these two share similar sad losses. Just purchased the book!

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    1. Oh - double thanks! I hope you like the story.
      Audrey and Selwyn are drawn together during first few days of their acquaintance, although events will separate them.

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  2. A touching moment. And they've both experienced tragic losses, something they can work through together.

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  3. A tender, healing moment. I like this couple!

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  4. I can picture the worn tombstones and feel the English humidity. These two are already sharing important parts of their past -- a hopeful sign!

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    1. Indeed. They end up sharing some intimate details of their previous relationships.

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  5. So lovely in every way. Been there when someone expressed his background and all that comes with it.

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    1. Thank you. They communicate very honestly with each other, which seems a good basis for a loving marriage.

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  6. It's rare for characters to reveal their past so easily to each other. How sweet. Too many times they fight for dominance and keep their past a secret. This was a refreshing change.

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    1. These two feel they have nothing to lose by this confidence. Audrey's situation is well known in the town and his sorrow has dwindled over the years.

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  7. They seem to share a common link in the family they have lost, a very common circumstance in the Medieval period. Nice tone to your snippet.

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  8. As others have said, a very poignant scene and I can certainly feel the connection between them. Excellent excerpt!

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  9. What a bittersweet moment. It must be very hard for him not being near to them.

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    1. He was in church praying for them, although it's been five years and he has moved past sorrow.

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  10. So very sad for both of them but it's nice that they can share the moment. It makes grief just a bit more bearable.

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  11. I really like his character. :-) I have to find time to read this! :-)

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