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Sweet Saturday Sample
From House of Cards
Spanish Dungeon
© Kacpura | Dreamstime.com
Surely, he was seeing things: the poor soul hadn’t been there a moment ago. Ignoring the driver’s warning, he turned back to demand he lend a hand as Sinjon intended to cut her down. The more he looked, the less he was sure she was human. There was something odd about her: the nails weren’t right seeming almost like razors, her skin more like wrinkled leather, her throat a little too long. Her eyes were altogether strange, gouged, yet whole; staring and lifeless, yet somehow they seemed to watch him. What had happened to the right side of her torso, he couldn’t tell, but it was torn to shreds, strips of bloodied flesh hanging, ribs showing through the injury. Yet, when he tilted his head for a different view, the skin and sinew seemed almost woven together. Something protruded from her back, but whether two humps, knives, or—it couldn’t be—stubby wings, he couldn’t decide. Or didn’t want to know the nature of what he saw.
As he turned back to his driver, a wall of ethereal flame erupted between them. Sinjon fell back, staring in astonishment. The ice-blue flames crackled and spat, the wind gusting from the blaze was cold as a winter’s breeze. Beyond, noises of battle erupted.
Sinjon reached for his pistol. A screaming woman flew from the conflagration and locked her hands around his throat. Shock paralyzed him as she dragged him to the flames.
The fire engulfed them utterly. The hag hissed, baring wicked fangs. Twisting her grip, her nails cut his flesh like blades. He shivered in the chill of the unreal blaze, struggling for freedom. She laughed and tossed him about until nausea threatened to overtake him.
Sudden darkness blinded him. Chains snaked around his chest, his limbs. He slammed against a stone wall alive with spiders; the monsters sunk their teeth deep into his flesh, shocking him with unmatched pain.
“Where are you?” he screamed. “Come and face me, damn you! I’m not afraid of you!”
The inhuman hag stepped from the shadows. “Aren’t you afraid, Sinjon? I wouldn’t expect such feigned bravado, were you unaffected by tonight’s events.”
He pulled against his chains. “What do you want of me?”
What does she want? If you’d like to see what happens next, House of Cards is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.
For more Sweet Saturday Samples, see the main site here.
Sweet Saturday Sample–Caitlin’s Book of Shadows
My first Sweet Saturday Sample of the new year, and let’s go with the new story, shall we? This is from my newly released story, Caitlin’s Book of Shadows, available at Amazon.
“What do you have there, Abigail?”
“More recipes, I guess.” She opened the cover and read the title, drawn in Trevor’s sure hand:
Caitlin’s Book of Shadows
Abigail gasped. No, not recipes.
Was it true? Had she really committed something like this to old-fashioned pen and ink? She flipped a few pages, reading entries.
I’d like to put in some orange trees.
Trevor told me Arianrhod might stop by.
She narrowed her eyes at the text. Was this really Caitlin’s work? She’d have to compare it to what they called Caitlin’s ideas pages—those pages scattered throughout Trevor’s five decades of collected sketchbooks wherein his wife had jotted down random thoughts and lists. Though the bulk of Caitlin’s work existed in electronic print the notebooks and this shared a similar slant. Although their grandson’s handwriting did seem comparable to this . . .
She set the book on her desk, running her fingers over its soft leather cover again. Caitlin’s book of shadows. She couldn’t wait to read the story therein.
Had Caitlin written it herself? If not, who had?
Some said she entertained the devil. Some said she spoke to the dead and heroes from the distant past. Was it true? No one knew, but perhaps this would solve some of the mystery?
***
What’s inside Caitlin’s book? Well, you know you have to read to find out! If you’d like to, Caitlin’s Book of Shadows is available at Amazon for $.99.
Would you like to read more? Then visit all the other contributors to this Saturday’s blog hop at Sweet Saturday Samples.
Sweet Saturday/Sunday Sample
Another Saturday another Sample. Here we go…
From House of Cards
A scream pierced the night. Sinjon turned to spot an eagle as it landed in the dead
branches of the nearby tree. Below its perch, the body of a woman hung from a rope around her left ankle, heavy and lifeless, her throat cut, blood dripping down to stain her white hair, the ground beneath her.
Surely, he was seeing things: the poor soul hadn’t been there a moment ago.
Ignoring the driver’s warning, he turned back to demand he lend a hand as Sinjon intended to cut her down. The more he looked, the less he was sure she was human.
There was something odd about her: the nails weren’t right seeming almost like razors, her skin more like wrinkled leather, her throat a little too long. Her eyes were altogether strange, gouged, yet whole; staring and lifeless, yet somehow they seemed to watch him.
What had happened to the right side of her torso, he couldn’t tell, but it was torn to shreds, strips of bloodied flesh hanging, ribs showing through the injury. Yet, when he tilted his head for a different view, the skin and sinew seemed almost woven together.
Something protruded from her back, but whether two humps, knives, or—it couldn’t be—stubby wings, he couldn’t decide. Or didn’t want to know the nature of what he saw.
As he turned back to his driver, a wall of ethereal flame erupted between them.
Sinjon fell back, staring in astonishment. The ice-blue flames crackled and spat, the wind gusting from the blaze was cold as a winter’s breeze. Beyond, noises of battle erupted.
Sinjon reached for his pistol. A screaming woman flew from the conflagration and locked her hands around his throat. Shock paralyzed him as she dragged him to the flames….
Poor Sinjon. He’s in for it now! If you’d like to see what happens next, House of Cards is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.
For more Sweet Saturday Samples, see the main site here.
Sweet Saturday Sample–The Artist’s Inheritance
We interrupt this party to bring you our weekly story time. 
This week, another excerpt from The Artist’s Inheritance: a little bit more about our ghostly soldier from Fort Pickens:
Caitlin shook her head and took the stairs, leaving
him to his work. Trotting down the porch steps she
glanced across the gulf to the fort. Standing majestic and
quiet in the warm afternoon, she watched tourists move
back and forth around it.
She could swear she could almost hear them speaking
in low tones about the coming battle.
Men in blue ran to accomplish their duties, carrying
rifles, and lining up the cannons. A Confederate boat
sped in her direction.
The colonel wheeled his horse around and called to
his men. One ran to his side and handed something up to
him.
The light flared off a crude pair of binoculars.
Caitlin startled at the glare. A motorboat, presumably full of tourists, moved away from the docks. Her home stood behind her, the air conditioner humming along, combating the afternoon’s stifling heat.
Her hands shook. She leaned against the car and took a deep breath, then another. “What in the world?”
She sped inside and pulled a bottle of water from her refrigerator. Standing there, door open to let the cool air seep over her she shook the reverie away, for once, embracing the chill.
Daydream. That’s all it was.
She set the empty bottle in the recycle bin and took to the stairs. She poked her head in the attic door. Trevor stood considering his project, one hand on his hip.
***
Uh huh. Daydream. Sure….I believe that…(not!). If you’d like to find out more of what’s going on with Caitlin and these ghostly soldiers, The e-book of The Artist’s Inheritance is for a limited time, $.99 at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords. Also in paperback via Createspace.
Enjoy more Sweet Saturday Samples at their homepage, and have a happy Halloween and enjoy the rest of our Halloween party.
Excerpt from The Artist’s Inheritance
The Artist’s Inheritance is available at Amazon for Kindle and BN.com for the Nook. The paperback is available at Createspace and at Smashwords for other e-formats.
Now, the sample:
Caitlin walked into the Bean on Tyme Café and found Beryl working behind the counter. Her friend left her station, and hugged her in greeting. “Wait! I have just the thing for you.”
She slipped back to the coffee machines and poured a steaming cup of something; she also opened the goodies cabinet and pulled forth a slice of rich carrot cake. She carried it to a nearby table and Caitlin followed. “Not your traditional lunch, but I hope it will suffice.”
“It’s perfect,” Caitlin said, sampling the sweet carrot cake.
“Good. I won’t lie and say it’s my recipe, but I’ll take whatever credit you wish to give.”
Caitlin giggled and sampled the tea. The strong scent of cinnamon and apple filled her nose.
“Now,” Beryl said. “Stop beating around the mulberry bush. Tell me what’s happened.”
“Nothing’s happened.” She set the delicate teacup aside gingerly. “Trevor is spending all his time with his store—when he’s not hard at work in the attic.”
“I see.” Beryl laced her fingers together and rested her chin on them. “Any more new chairs?”
Caitlin spun the spoon inside her cup. “Half dozen.”
“Oh, dear.”
She sipped again and collapsed against the seat, weariness stealing over her. “I guess it’s not so bad. He could have three dozen more. I guess the store gives him more to obsess over. What about this woman you mentioned?”
Beryl looked around the café, and lowered her voice. “It’s a ghost, or in your family’s case, it could be a banshee.”
“Gwrach y rhibyn.” The thought of the ghostly woman in question made Caitlin shudder.
Beryl nodded. “By whatever name, they’re never good.”
Caitlin remained silent, waiting for her friend to fill in the blank she already guessed at.
“Her appearance to someone usually means a death’s about to occur. Let me venture a guess: your family has a strange history.”
Caitlin’s hand shook. She stabbed a bit too hard at her slice of cake. “You have no idea. Trevor . . . He’s going to die, isn’t he?”
“Oh, sweetie, no.” Beryl laid a hand over hers. “Not if I can help it. What about your friend and mine, Mr. Hofter?”
* * *
Juli D. Revezzo is a writer of paranormal fantasy who always finds a way to add a splash of magic into her work. Ghosts and gods drive a certain witch up the wall in her Antique Magic series. Book one, THE ARTIST’S INHERITANCE, is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Createspace, and Smashwords.
Sweet Saturday Samples–The Artist’s Inheritance
This is from my novel The Artist’s Inheritance, Antique Magic Book One. This is a little about Gordon…He’s Caitlin’s (the main character) deceased brother-in-law. He was…a little odd. Read on and you’ll see…
film cartridges by Toa55/Freedigitalphotos.net
The thought of an afternoon cleaning Gordon’s work shed did nothing for her spirits. But the project needed doing, and just as Trevor couldn’t look at Gordon’s photographs for long, he still couldn’t bring himself to enter the small structure. He said there was something spooky about the room.
Caitlin ducked her head in, stepped inside. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to her. So, she braided her hair out of her face and set to work.
She cataloged all the bent and crumpled pictures—and there were many. Flipping through them, she noted several shots of Fort Pickens, of the garden, the house, and a few sites around town and lastly, several pictures of Amelia. All these proofs seemed just smaller versions of the photographs up in their attic. She made a pile of them for sending to her sister-in-law.
Next, she turned to the leftover silver nitrate and carried the canisters of it and other chemicals to safe chemical dumps. Then she threw away every empty film roll she could find. She called Amelia and offered to send her the camera equipment, but Amelia refused.
“Do what you want with it, Cait. He didn’t trust me with it, so I don’t see any point in keeping it.”
Gordon didn’t trust her? How peculiar.
What’s up with Amelia and why’s she so bitter towards her late husband? You’ll have to read to find out! The Artist’s Inheritance is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.
To read more samples from other fine authors, see the Sweet Saturday Samples homepage.
