Fantasy Fiction Friday Excerpts

This is Your Opportunity to Explore New Authors

Enjoy these special book excerpts on Fantasy Fiction Friday.

Fantasy Fiction Friday – Be sure to check out more books at Clean Indie Reads

This is a new monthly feature on my blog. It’s an opportunity for you to read excerpts from some of the great books written by Indie Authors without the risk.

Each author has provided an excerpt and a purchase link in the comments below.

I’ll start with an excerpt from “Missing”

Missing by Peggy M McAloon and Anneka Rogers:

Elle’s chest hurt. She was waking up, but she was having difficulty breathing.

The pain diminished as she fought to open her eyes. Her breathing was normal again, and the pain in her chest didn’t bother her at all now.

She looked around. The place she was in wasn’t a room she recognized.

Everything was white. There were no pictures on the walls. She was in bed, covered by a white blanket of some sort. She felt the spread between her thumb and forefinger. It was an unusual material. Not like anything she remembered.

There were two chairs by a window. They both had white cushions.

It looked like a hospital room, but something wasn’t quite right.

The door opened.

“How are you feeling?”

“I hurt some, but I guess I’m okay.”

The man dressed in white approached her. He reached for her hand.

“You’ve had some very demanding experiences, Elle. You are but a child, and no child should have to endure the loss you suffered when your father died. He was an incredibly good man and a brave man. You know that, don’t you?”

“Sure I do. Poppy was the best. I . . . I miss him so much. I got to say goodbye, but it wasn’t enough. There were so many things I wanted to talk to him about, but he’s not here.”

“He’s not gone, Elle. He is in the very air you breathe. Have you looked up at the stars at night and tried to talk to him like he asked you to do?”

“Sometimes, but it’s not like looking into his eyes. He laughed through his eyes.”

“You have his eyes.”

“Mom says that too.”

“Do you laugh through your eyes, Elle?”

“Not like I used to. It’s been too hard lately. There’s a scroll, and a prophecy everyone thinks is about me. I want to be strong, but I don’t know how.”

“We are never asked to do more than we are able.”

“Do you believe that?”

“It is the truth, Elle.”

“Whose truth is it, then?”

“Do you believe in God?” the man asked.

More Fantasy Fiction Friday Excerpts:

Please follow and like us:

12 thoughts on “Fantasy Fiction Friday Excerpts

  1. Princess Matty meets Sir Percy from An Ordinary Knight
    Free to download https://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-Knight-Fairy-Cursed-Fable-ebook/dp/B016VLBL5E/

    “I hope you don’t mind me sending for you, but I wanted to meet you officially.” She stood.
    He nodded. “It’s all right. I mean, I was a little surprised, I admit, Your Highness.”
    Her nose wrinkled. “Call me Matty. No need for highnesses. Please, sit down.”
    Percy sat on the couch next to the princess.
    She gazed up at him. “I didn’t realize how tall you were. You can’t tell from a distance. You must be at least a foot taller than I am.”
    He just nodded. They sat in silence. He shifted in his seat. She peered at him as if he were a goldfish and she a hungry cat. He rubbed his suddenly sweaty palms on his pant legs.
    “So,” he said. “What do you want to talk about?”
    She pursed her lips together and tilted her head. “I have been thinking about that since I sent for you, and I’m still not sure,” she replied. “Your life must be so much more interesting than mine, since I’m locked in this awful tower all day long. After all, you’re a knight, and from what I have read, knights have the most exciting lives of anyone in this realm. I mean, we can talk about anything you want to. The dragons you’ve slain. The damsels you’ve rescued. Anything.”
    Percy lowered his eyes. She wanted a hero, and he was the most boring knight who had ever existed. How could he disappoint her when she had been waiting so long for this? He opened his mouth but nothing came out.
    She gazed at him, her smile fading. “Oh … I said something wrong, didn’t I? I am sorry. I haven’t talked with anyone like you before, and I wasn’t sure how to start …” Her face reddened.
    “No, no.” He put up his hand. “But Matilda, you have picked the wrong knight. My life isn’t interesting; in fact, it’s downright dull. I’m not the sort of knight who has adventures. I have never rescued a maiden or fought an ogre. I haven’t even seen a dragon.”
    “What do you do then?” she asked.
    “Well …” he cleared his throat, wishing that he had never met Dusty. “I guard the royal kennels.”
    The princess laughed. It was not a malicious laugh, but it was a laugh, and Percy had to look away to keep from flushing.
    She touched his shoulder. “I don’t suppose that is much to talk about, but compared to my life, it still is interesting, and I liked you even before I knew you were a knight. I didn’t tell my father about the first time I saw you in the garden; I was afraid it would get you in trouble, but you had such nice eyes that I wanted to meet you … We don’t have to talk about your work. We can talk about anything you would like.”

    • Peggy McAloon

      Thank you so much for offering a free book, H L Burke!

    • Jolyn Safron

      Oh, I have to move this one up higher on my to-read list. Sounds like such a sweet story.

  2. From The Enchanted Swans – due out March 8, 2017

    When I woke late the next morning, I was raw, as if I’d run a hundred leagues the day before and then swam the same again. My muscles creaked and complained, and my eyes were crusted shut. I washed at the basin, splashing away the worst of it, but I’d have to go for a swim in the lough to be properly clean.
    Later. Oh, sweet Danu, later. What would I be doing later? What should I be doing now? Everything had changed. Mother was dead, and I was lost. The tears fell from my cheeks.
    “None of that, young Fionnuala. You grieved well enough yesterday. Today you must get back to work.” Hawlen chided from her perch.
    Anger welled up inside at her callous words. “Enough? How is it ever enough, Hawlen? How can you grieve enough for your mother?” My voice rose in the end, until I yelled at the raven. She shifted back and forth on her perch and fluffed her wings at the attack.
    “Caw! Yes, well, I suppose I phrased that poorly. You may grieve every day, but as the eldest daughter of a king, you should not show your grief publicly. It is indecorous.”
    I glared. She was right, of course. She had charge of teaching me the proper forms of courtesy and magic, and she simply performed her duty. That didn’t mean I had to accept it in silence.
    I took a deep breath and calmed my heart. I hummed a monotone, willing the song into magic. I visualized the calm green earth flow up through me on each indrawn breath and the red rage flowed out of my fingertips as I let it go, one of many techniques Hawlen had taught me over several winters.
    In silence, I walked to my press and pulled out a simple shift and a plain white overdress. I would wear nothing fancy until my mother’s funeral finished and I had much to do to prepare. My mind balked at the thought of the tasks, but I pushed that aside. I went through the motions of dressing and plaiting my hair. It was redder than my mother’s white-blond hair, but just as long and straight. I swallowed again against the pain, rose, and glanced at Hawlen with a deep sigh.
    “Very well. What must I do today, Hawlen?”

    • Peggy McAloon

      I love this, Christy! How wonderful to read an excerpt from a soon-to-be published work!

  3. Dragon’s Heritage, on 99 cent pre-order on all outlets: https://www.books2read.com/u/3neVN6 Book 1 (the companion book is free on ebook).
    TEARS STREAMED DOWN MERE’S FACE as sobs wracked her body. Her hands bunched into fists that she pounded against the ground in time to the words running through her mind. It’s not fair! It’s not fair! She swiped at her eyes, leaving smears of dirt on her cheeks. With effort the youngling gathered her wayward emotions and calmed her body. Brushing her blonde hair behind her ears, she stood and rested her back against the tree that sheltered her from the summer sun. Her dress stuck to her lean body. Taking deep gulps of the humid air, she tried to regain her composure. With practiced ease, she smoothed her dress.
    A deep sigh escaped the girl. How come whenever I feel happy, Nellie has to come along and ruin everything? At the thought of the dark-haired young rider, Mere’s self-control slipped and the memory of the confrontation came back.
    As she passed the youngling, she bowed. “May your dragon fly true, Nellie.”
    “May your dragon. . .Oh, I forgot, you don’t have one.” The girl’s slender fingers came to her lips in mock horror.
    Mere hung her head. Did she have to be reminded of it all the time? Everyone in her family was a dragon rider, everyone except her. A thought brought her head up.
    “Maybe, there’ll be a late choosing like my Aunt Rena.”
    “Forget it, Mere.” Nellie flipped her long black hair over her shoulder. “If a dragon hasn’t chosen you yet, it never will. Look around you. All the younglings who’ve been chosen have been outgoing and strong. You’re timid, shy, and any Boeskay storm would send you down the Sur River. Dragons only choose those who are outgoing, like your brother.”
    Mere tried to control the tears that threatened to course down her cheeks at the girl’s words. “No, Nellie. My ma says—”
    “Your ma doesn’t know anything. My dragon told me.”
    With that, Nellie had turned and walked off, leaving Mere fuming and hurt.
    Mere pushed away from the tree and ran. Running always seemed to bring her body and emotions under control. Her feet pounded the rhythm of the words: It’s not fair. Can’t be true. Tears streamed from her eyes to the point where she couldn’t see where she was going.
    Without warning, she ran into something soft yet unmoving. Firm hands took her by the arms.
    “Young lady—” Her grandfather’s voice cut into her turmoil.
    “Grandda Cerulean!” Mere flung her arms around his strong shoulders and let her tears soak his tunic.
    “Oh, Mere.” He patted her back and led her to the side of the path. “Here.” Cerulean held out a handkerchief.
    “Thanks, Grandda.” She smiled up at him. “I must look a mess.”
    “I’m sure you have looked better, but when your heart breaks, you are entitled to look less than your best.” He waited for her to finish wiping the tears from her cheeks. “Why don’t we go see Grandma? I bet she has some tea. That is bound to help.”

    • Peggy McAloon

      How wonderful to have another soon-to-be-released book! Thank you, Kandi!

  4. Excerpt from The Children of When: Book 1.
    Available in ebook and print format from here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HKU814E

    “Belle, look out!” Leah screamed, as she raced towards her. Belle looked around her wildly, but she was looking everywhere but down. Raff pulled his knife from his belt as he ran towards her, watching in horror as the long slimy tentacle wrapped itself around her ankle. He reached her just as she toppled backwards, screaming as she was dragged towards the water. He dived forward and severed the slimy appendage, pushing Belle back away from the edge.
    Hot, bile green liquid spurted from the flailing tentacle. Raff groaned as the centre of the pool began to bubble and froth. Of course the slimy appendage was attached to something much bigger! The water surged upwards and a hideous creature rose from its depths, a high-pitched keening sound spewing from its voluminous mouth. Countless more snake-like tentacles lifted out of the water around it, waving madly in the air, before lashing out towards where the children huddled in terror. Within seconds, the tentacles had found their targets, latching onto arms and legs, intent on dragging their helpless victims towards the water and certain death.
    Raff knew his knife was useless. He needed to do something… and suddenly he knew what it was. He closed his eyes and concentrated on building the perfect weapon, shaping and moulding it in his mind. His eyes flew open, and he looked directly into the creature’s single eye, floating above its gaping mouth. He threw his arm forward, feeling the familiar jolt as the fireball hurtled towards the hideous creature. The ball of flame hit the monster’s slimy flesh and exploded. The keening noise grew louder, and then spluttered into silence as the flames engulfed the monster.
    Raff felt the tentacles wrapped around his ankles fall away, relief flooding through him as the now lifeless appendages were dragged backwards into the pool, still attached to the dead creature sinking back into the depths. Now, where were Belle and Leah?

    • Peggy McAloon

      How delightful! Another author who writes for the same audience I do!

  5. Jolyn Safron

    I really appreciate ‘clean’ reading and any direction towards clean books is much appreciated. Thank you Peggy for starting Fantasy Fiction Friday.

    • Peggy McAloon

      Thanks for stopping by, Jolyn! I write books for children and young adults, so “Clean” is something I insist upon for this blog. Also, I highlight one clean indie author every Thursday.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *