Last week I shared with you all an announcement that I was releasing my very first short novel on March 25. I couldn’t be more thrilled to share the news and to receive your enthusiasm. Now, take an even deeper dive into the first short novel of my series, THE WOMEN OF ADALOR: PIL.

Meet Pil, a young woman adopted by a wealthy assassin, weighed down by a tragic past, and forced to face the most difficult stage of her life. The evolving events of this story will challenge her but Pil is always ready for a challenge. Here’s an excerpt of what is the first in an enthralling series titled THE WOMEN OF ADALOR.

Prologue

    To be outside in the lonely darkness of dusk was already an unnerving thing. But to be in a forest with a fierce storm raining down all around you in the blackness was something else entirely. In this forest nestled away from the well-worn dirt road, a simple carriage can be found. A sodden pile of sticks which earlier in the night had been a blazing campfire sits sadly in front of the rig.

    In this quiet wagon rests a small family; a young husband and wife and their eight-year-old daughter, Pil. Little Pil should have been asleep but she loved storms.

   She sits in the darkness, a broad smile on her skinny pale face as a clap of thunder awakens the night with a startling boom. She acknowledges her mother and father as their snores meld with the storm. 

    Her father is a strong, sturdy man with remarkably handsome features and jet black hair. He sleeps with a pleasant expression as if he is in the middle of a very good dream. Her mother is small and slight but very pretty. Her pale skin is smooth and her long black hair lies in a pool around her head. She never seems to have an expression when she sleeps.

    As another explosion of thunder crackles through the sky, Pil giggles quietly. She sits back against the wall of the carriage and grabs her doll, Yammy. Yammy is a beautiful doll made of dark wood and black curly hair framing her cute round face. Her frilly dress, formerly as white as the puffy marshmallows Pil loved to eat as a treat, is now a dingy yellow. Pil didn’t care. She treasures Yammy with all of her heart.

    Sitting against the wall, she rubs her tiring pale-blue eyes with the back of her small hand just as a sudden gale rocks the carriage. Her smile vanishes and her heart pounds in her chest. Maybe the storm isn’t fun anymore.

    She’s about to sidle over and lay beside her parents when she hears a noise outside. She stops, sitting perfectly still for a few seconds before she notices a horse’s whinny through the incessant pattering of rain against the wagon. This noise is followed by the unmistakable sound of whispering voices. Her breath catches in her throat.

And there’s the excerpt! I can’t wait to share more characters and excerpts from this novel leading up to March 25th, the novel’s debut.

As always, I thank you for reading and I hope you have a fantastic day.