When Humans first arrived on Hope
As Earth’s population overran the available supply of food,
and women had become a scarcity most men could not afford, many chose to take
their chances going to another planet. While the first planet named Hope could
not survive all the privileged non-working people who arrived, a hardworking
group from the original Planet Hope secured a ship and left the planet they now
referred to as ‘Hopeless’ and found a new planet which, they again named Hope. (You know the saying that Hope springs
eternal…)
This time, they would return to the ways of older times. No
more democracies, parliaments, congress, or house of lords. The captain of the
ship declared he and his crew would split up the small planet and each would be
“Kings” of their lands. They divided up the livestock and the few women so each
Hold would have at least one woman, and sufficient livestock to grow their
herds.
Upon landing on Hope, a contingency of small humans arrived,
claiming they already lived on Hope, but would welcome the company. They even
offered to show the colonists the best spots to build their holds
Since they were barely half the size and a quarter of weight
of the arriving humans, the newcomers didn’t feared them, and accepted them as
guides to their new homes. Later, when they saw the beautiful petite women of
these small people, most of the kings, and the ministers took a beauty for
their wife. Nor did any of the tiny men object. Thus, for the first two hundred
years, Earth humans thought the little humans were harmless and weak.
BLURB
Rana is only sixteen when she becomes queen. Her first challenge is
to quell an internal coup while a massive army storms the gates of her castle.
Her enemies believe her to be a child, but she has powers they’ve never
suspected. She also has great dreams for her people, and she will do whatever is
necessary to make them happen, even marrying a prince she does not want.
EXCERPT
Rana’s father stared at her a long time. She saw nothing familial
in his hard, black eyes. Finally, he sighed. “Come to the window and I will
tell you my concerns.”
He was her father. She had loved him all her life, but she no
longer trusted him. She walked to a different window on the same wall. “Tell me
where you need help.”
He sighed heavily and stared out upon the expansive grounds of the
castle. “The left wall has been breached and the men are entering the shed.
They will find a secret tunnel into the main castle. I have men posted at the
tunnel door, but it won’t be enough to stop them from entering and killing the
citizens hiding in the cellars.”
“Why would they kill citizens?”
“Because they have orders to find you and the citizens will not
tell them where you are.”
She closed her eyes and focused her thoughts, calling banshees from
the ground and sending them into the tunnels. She feared for the soldiers
guarding the tunnel door, but better a few men die than the women and children.
They were the future of the kingdom.
Certain twenty banshees could handle all who entered the tunnel,
she refocused on her father. “What else?”
He rubbed his neck. “This would be easier if you could tell me what
you can do.”
“What else?”
When he didn’t answer, she focused on the battle outside. “Those
catapults seem to be doing a lot of damage.”
A burst of pain erupted from his chest. “Aye, they are.”
She focused on the ground beneath the heavy machines. A moment
later, the ground shook, and a crevice opened along the line of catapults. She
watched with satisfaction as the machines disappeared. Mother had let her
practice opening a half-inch crevice in the vegetable garden once, but this was
her first attempt at allowing her power out at full force.
Adrenaline surged through her body at just how powerful she could
be. She was about to close the crevice except it cut off over fifty percent of
the men attacking her kingdom. She decided to leave it.
“What else?”
She looked to her father, expecting him to be overjoyed with her
abilities. Instead, he stared at her in horror. “What are you? You aren’t my
daughter! I didn’t create you!”
His words stung like a whip. She stepped back from the pain as her
body filled with a sickening sense of danger. A moment later, arrows shot through
the narrow windows, one slicing through her father’s neck.
She watched in confusion as the giant man who had loved her all her
life, save today, fell to his knees. Blood pumped out the exit side of the
arrow, turning the walls bright red.
She remained where she was, tucked to the stonewall and watched his
life spurt out of him.
Had he not attacked her with such words, she might have realized
the danger came from outside in time to save him. But now, there was nothing
she could do for him.
When the fountain of red stopped, she crawled beneath the arrows
that still showered through the windows, to be closer to her father.
She slowed time so she could safely approach him and grip his hand.
Dull eyes opened and stared at her, prompting her to speak before he died.
“I am your daughter! You taught me to care for our people. You
taught me their safety comes before all else. I will not allow them to be
conquered and enslaved. I will win this battle and make this kingdom a place of
safety and happiness. I will do it in your name, because you are my father, and
before today, you loved me dearly.”
A single tear ran from the edge of his eye, off his cheek, and fell
into the blood pooling beneath his head. His eyes slowly closed.
She placed her hand on his chest and smiled as tears of relief fell
upon his chest. He had died in peace, not anger. His initial repulsion of her
powers had not lasted. His last emotion had been relief.
SALES LINK
RANA: TEENAGE QUEEN
About the Author
Liza O’Connor lives in Denville, NJ
with her dog Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet
or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ,
hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive
with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky
dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid
gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts.
Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing
novels.
OTHER BOOKS BY LIZA O’CONNOR
SCIENCE
FICTION
Sci-Fi Soap Opera with humor, romance,
and science
Sci-Fi/Romance
The SkyRyders Series
Sci-Fi Romance
Scavenger Vanishes-coming 2017
FANTASY
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