School Days: A Hexborn Excerpt

Shiloh was, naturally, the first to arrive for Master Jonn’s tutorial. Tentatively, she pushed open the door to find a shabbily cozy office. A fireplace surrounded by a handful of upholstered chairs dominated the room; a desk piled high with books and papers stood opposite the hearth.

A set of open double doors separated the office from a large laboratory. The sight of it stole Shiloh’s breath. Six rows of work benches filled the well-lit space. Potions in progress dominated one bench, bubbling in elaborate contraptions of glass, while other tables bowed beneath the weight of various plants and captive creatures. Some of the plants Shiloh recognized as medicinal. Others appeared to be crop samples afflicted with various blights. A young man—Shiloh assumed him to be Master Jonn—peered down at a cage full of rodents, a water wand in his hand and a magnifying glass held to his eye. She fairly itched to examine it all.

The door behind her creaked, and Shiloh turned to see two other girls enter. One had kind eyes and gave her a hesitant half-smile, but the other kept her nose firmly in the air. They both took chairs near the fire. Shiloh followed their example but kept her distance, choosing a seat across from the pair.

“Ah, we’re all here,” Master Jonn declared, stepping in from the laboratory and closing the doors behind him. “Let’s get started. We have a new student joining us.” He looked down at one of the papers on his desk. “I’m Jonn Gateborn. Shiloh Teethborn, is it?” he asked, his smile warm and welcoming. “Silas mentioned you to me.”

“Yes, Master,” she replied, nodding her head in greeting. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Ladies?” Master Jonn prompted. “Shall we introduce ourselves?”

“I’m Penn Warwick,” the kind one offered. The other girl said nothing, and a long-suffering expression came over Jonn’s face. Penn broke the awkward silence by adding, “And this is Lady Hana Kramer, Lord Penfield’s eldest daughter.”

Jonn took the seat between Shiloh and Penn. “Now, Shiloh won’t have done the reading for today, but how did the two of you find the new article on Kirshan’s Hex?”

“Is it the one by Fergoss, from the university in Vreeland?” Shiloh asked, eyes brightening.

Jonn smiled. “Why, yes, it is. Have you read it?”

“Yes, Master,” she replied. “My teacher subscribed to their journal. I found it fascinating.” She was overcome with self-consciousness when Penn shot her an impressed look and Hana rolled her eyes.

“I found it dull as dishwater,” Hana declared.

“Of course you did,” Jonn sighed.

“Well, I’m not likely ever to be on a battlefield, am I?” Hana shot back.

“No, not likely, my lady,” Jonn allowed with a shake of his head. “Penn, why don’t you share your thoughts? How did you find his argument on the alternative use of Comfort Potion in a topical formulation?”

Shiloh felt her anxiety dissipate as Penn began to speak in a soft, shy voice, and as Jonn patiently encouraged her to elaborate.

I can do this, Shiloh told herself.

I can do this.

***

Intrigued? Download your copy of Hexborn here.

Fear and Feralfolk: A Hexborn Excerpt

Shiloh forced herself not to look away when they rode by what was left of the Feralfolk who’d attacked the previous winter. Edmun would have wanted her to face the truth. Their bodies had been mostly consumed by the fireball, but the scorched bones had been left behind. The elders had insisted on mounting the skulls for a warning, and Edmun had gone along with them.

So far, it had been effective. There hadn’t been a raid in eight months. Not so much as a single goat had gone missing. Shiloh wondered if the warning would continue to work once word got around that the pink-haired monster had left town.

“You have to accept what happened,” Edmun had insisted. She’d spent days after her father’s death sitting in the dark, neither eating nor sleeping, neither weeping nor raging. She’d just sat, like a stone. He had insisted on dragging her out into the light. “I know it is terribly painful, my dear poppet, but you simply must.”

It had been so strange, to watch her teacher puttering around her father’s house, doing her chores, fixing her meals, taking care of her as she had him for the previous decade. Watching the frail old man trying his damnedest to prepare her a bath had finally broken through her ice and allowed her to cry.

And she had faced it all, in the end. She had buried her father properly, with all the rites. She had faced the pile of smoldering corpses she’d produced in her paroxysm of grief. She had faced her terrified neighbors at Temple and at market. She had faced Edmun every morning, faced his sad eyes and his declining health. At least Edmun hadn’t been afraid of her, even after the Feralfolk.

She wondered how the people at court would see her. Would she just be a country mouse, poor and ignored by her betters? Would she be taunted for her condition, as she had been in her village? Would they learn to both fear her and need her, as her neighbors had? Would they know what she had done?

Will the king decide he doesn’t want me alive after all?

***

Intrigued? Download your copy of Hexborn here.

Dead Earth: A Hexborn Excerpt

Shiloh again stayed behind at the end of tutorial. Master Jonn had been kind enough to set a workbench aside for her in his laboratory. A dozen tiny ceramic pots sat in a neat row, ready to be labeled with the date of treatment and the method to be used.

“I only brought one jar of dead earth with me,” she told the healing master.

“Not to worry. I’ve got barrels,” Jonn assured her. “I make the stewards haul some back from the Vine and the Wood when the summer progress heads that way. They think I’m mad.”

“They’ll eat their words if you ever figure it out,” Shiloh replied. “Edmun told me the Deadlands cover thousands of square miles. If they can be reclaimed . . .”

Jonn winked at her. “If they can be reclaimed, we’ll be heroes. But that is a mighty large ‘if.’”

“Your notes say you’ve already tried Jalar’s Poison Remedy?” she asked.

“Aye, both formulations. And I added fertilizer from the gardeners for good measure. I was able to get sprouts, but they would die within hours. They’d turn crimson and shrivel up black as pitch,” Jonn confirmed. “Now, last month I read that a man named Hadrian, who teaches at the University of Vert in Estany, claims to have invented an all-purpose countercurse. It’s well-described in the literature, but I haven’t been able to get it to work on so much as a child’s hex. Of course, I’m a much stronger potioner than I am a spell caster. Such is the mixed blessing of wielding a water wand.” Jonn eyed her appraisingly. “You, on the other hand, little miss steel wand . . . you should give it a go.”

“Do you have the paper?” she asked eagerly. An all-purpose countercurse could come in quite handy the next time she became ill. And if it really did work on people, who’s to say it might not work on soil, with a few adjustments?

“Sure,” he replied, looking over his messy desk with a touch of despair. “Somewhere. I’ll dig up the translation for you.”

“The original is in Estan?” she asked. Master Jonn nodded. “You can give me original,” she told him.

“You speak Estan?” he asked, eyebrows raised.

“Brother Edmun taught me. Gernish, too. He insisted it would come in handy. My accent is probably atrocious, but I can read it well enough,” she assured him.

“My, my. Remind me never to underestimate you. Old Edmun gave you the education of a princess,” Jonn replied.

He said it with a smile, but something in his eyes made Shiloh uneasy. It wasn’t until she’d left him, research paper clutched in her hot little hand, that she identified the healer’s look.

Fear. It was fear.

***

Intrigued? Download your copy of Hexborn here.

The Hatchet's Obsession: A Hexborn Excerpt

“Were there other marks?” Silas demanded of his sister. The hour was late. Lill already wore her nightcap, but Silas was still hard at work, candles ablaze.

“Aye, poor child,” Lill confirmed. “All over, poor child. Old ones, newer ones that were still red and purple. Bruises, pretty fresh.”

“Could you draw them for me?” he asked, eyes greedy. “The scars, not the bruises.”

“Heavens, no! I wasn’t making a study of them, for the Gods’ sakes! It was all I could do not to burst into tears!”

“Never mind,” he replied, waving a hand. “I can get her maid to do it for me in a few days.”

“Already picked a girl out to spy on her, have you?” Lill asked, arms crossed.

“Of course, I have,” Silas confirmed, as though it were self-evident.

“I know it’s your job, brother, to do such things to protect the king. But that is a good girl. I can tell,” Lill clucked. “You had best be kind to her.”

“I don’t tell you how to do your job, Lill. Pray do not tell me how to do mine,” came his stern reply.

***

Intrigued? Download your copy of Hexborn here.

Wednesday Work-In-Progress: Heavy Is the Head

I'm at work on the third installment of the Hexborn series. If you haven't yet read Unclean, you may want to avert your eyes. Also, what are you waiting for?! For the rest of you, I hope you enjoy this very rough draft of a scene from the as yet untitled book 3. Happy reading!

***



“And how does this morning find her grace?” Silas asked with a wink.

“Cranky,” Shiloh complained. “Can we go back to sleeping in tents?”

Shiloh sat at the desk in her newly refurbished study at Greenhill Palace. Grateful as she was to be under a roof and between solid walls after months of war, adjusting to her new life as the queen of Bryn was proving even more difficult than she had feared. It was but a few days after her coronation, and it was time to settle into a proper routine after all of the excitement. And yet, that routine already chafed.

“Is it really as bad as all that?” Silas replied, lips twitching. Standing, mostly free from his wheelchair these days, he towered over his diminutive wife and sovereign. “I’m still rather enjoying having a real bed myself.”

“You don’t get woken up by five ladies in waiting who then proceed to take at least an hour to get you dressed,” she groused. “I still don’t see why Jane can’t help me.”

“It is an honor to dress the queen,” Silas explained, “and to delegate that task to a common maid would insult the families of the highest-ranking ladies in waiting.”

“I think they resent it anyway, dressing the likes of me,” she replied, her voice conveying more hurt than she had realized she felt. “They always look like they’re smelling spoiled milk. Save Penny, obviously.”

Silas clenched his jaw. “Is that so? Perhaps someone ought to have a word with them.”

Shiloh smiled. “Going to drag them to the top of the High Tower, are you? I thought you were worried about angering their families.”

Silas snorted. “No, I thought, perhaps, we should have Queen Penn take the ladies in hand. Handling them would be an appropriate and helpful task for her. I know you have no interest in spending your time and energy on wrangling them.”

“Sounds like a reasonable plan,” Shiloh agreed. “I have thought of something for them to do with their time. Do you suppose they would enjoy planning for the decoration of the Dark Tower, now that the glass windows are going in?”

Silas smiled. “Yes, I think they would find that properly diverting. We’ll give them a budget. I’ll set it low, as they will inevitable ignore it.”

“Splendid. What’s next on your list?”

“Correspondence. The Emperor of Vree invites you to visit his capital. I assume you want to graciously decline?”

Shiloh cocked her head to one side. “This would be in the summer?”

“I assume so. Journeying north in winter does not strike me as an enjoyable outing, and we have not been long at home. You want to go, your grace?”

“Silas, we’re alone. Can you please cease with the ‘your grace’ nonsense?”

“Forgive me, little bird. You wish to visit Vree?” he asked, bowing an apology in his chair.

“Well, it is supposed to be beautiful, is it not?”

“Oh, yes,” Silas replied. “The capital, Duvale, is remarkable. A city in the trees, shrouded in mist.” He eyed her closely. “What else are you thinking, little bird? I suspect this is not simply a sudden yearning to play tourist.”

“I am thinking than an alliance might be prudent, given Gerne’s perpetual troublesomeness. Perhaps Estany would also be interested in such an arrangement.”

Silas grinned. “Perhaps Queen Shiloh wishes to fire a shot across Fenroh’s bow?”

A smile snuck across Shiloh’s face. “Maybe a little.” Her hatred for the man who had taken over the church had not diminished in the months since their last encounter.

“Why don’t I have both ambassadors pay us a visit later this week? We can discuss it over tea, like civilized people.”

“Perfect. What else to report?”

“Our men are shipping Westan down here, and I’ll start in on him. It’s possible he managed to communicate with the boy while we were at Castle Redwood. His trial is to begin in a month, so he needs to be here anyway.”

“Splendid,” Shiloh replied. She looked as though she’d bitten a lemon.

“Better to get it over with. Your first execution. Such a special moment in the life of a monarch,” Silas joked.

“It isn’t funny,” Shiloh shot back.

“It’s a little funny. And at least we know he has it coming.”

Shiloh could not argue there. Westan, once king via his marriage, had tried to burn down the City before he fled in the face of Shiloh’s troops.

“Don’t wear yourself out on the likes of Westan,” she cautioned. Her brows drew together. “I don’t want you making yourself sick.”

“The day I can’t handle Westan without breaking a sweat is the day I hang up my wand,” Silas scoffed, brushing away her concern.

Shiloh reached out and took his hand. “Truly, Silas. It’s good to see you looking like your old self again. Please don’t risk your recovery.” It felt strange for her, to be the healthy one for once.

Silas softened in the face of her affection. “As you wish, little bird.”

“And this priest who attacked us? What progress there? Was he put up to it by the same one who suggested to Zenn that he kill you?” Shiloh asked.

Silas heaved a sigh. “I suspect so, but I am not certain. He is a difficult nut to crack. He said that he was trying to kill me, not you. Claimed he was in the Citadel when you liberated it, but we don’t have any of Fenroh’s records to verify that. After that, he clammed up. Jonn told me I’d better give him some time before we hurt him again.”

“Hmm.” A bell rang off the hour, and Shiloh squared her shoulders. “I’d best get to my sitting room. The dressmaker is coming for the final fitting on my Solstice gown.” She gave him a longsuffering look.

“I noticed you didn’t ask about the preparations for the ball,” Silas teased. “The other queens I’ve served would have gone on about nothing else.”

Shiloh rolled her eyes. “Am I much like the other queens you’ve served? Besides, we just had the coronation. I’m all out of interest in parties.”

“How about gifts? Are you out of interest in gifts?” Silas asked with a mischievous smile.

Shiloh cocked her head to the side. “What are you up to, Silas Hatch?”

He grinned. “You’re just going to have to wait until Solstice to find out.”

Release Week for Unclean

The big day arrived yesterday, and Unclean (The Hexborn Chronicles Book 2) is finally live on Amazon Kindle! Check out the blurb and these early reviews!

Sometimes love comes after marriage. Sometimes peace requires a war.

 
Shiloh was born cursed, but she was raised to fight. And a fight is just what she and Silas have on their hands. The new queen is out for blood. Her allies in the church begin a purge as brutal as it is efficient. Soon, Silas sits locked in the Dark Tower, and Shiloh labors under the cruel eye of the most powerful priest in the realm . . . a man with evil ambitions of his own.

Not content to wait for help that might never come, Shiloh is determined to save herself, Silas, and the innocents who surround her. New friends help her to form a daring plan while Silas works desperately to wield influence at court from inside his prison cell. But even if Shiloh prevails, she has no idea what comes next.

Can Shiloh harness her magic in a new way to protect herself, her husband, and the people of Bryn? Can she face a future that is not the one she would have chosen? And will Silas still be by her side? 

Don't miss this sequel to the award-winning Hexborn!

Here is an Amazon Review from one of my ARC (Advance Review Copy) readers :

"Unclean" is a wonderful sequel to Hexborn, Manay's venture into fantasy adventure. Well placed for fans of Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword or The Hero and the Crown, the book deviates from the Cromwell-Tudor theme to a unique plot line filled with suspense, double cross, and heroic deeds. (And while Elizabeth was always rumored to be a witch, Shiloh actually has magical powers.)

Manay spends sufficient time establishing her characters, including a truly horrid villain, yet manages to keep the plot and action moving so the reader does not lose interest. One of the strongest references I can give in support is the morning after receiving the advance copy, I spent the day yawning at work since I stayed up all night reading. And, I still wish the third book was already available.

Grab your copy on Kindle or in paperback and see what all the fuss is about!

The Geography of the Hexborn Chronicles

I feel like it's not really a high fantasy novel unless there is a map. Not that I'm one to ever look at it while I'm reading--I'm not much of a visual person. But I did want to have one as I was writing the Hexborn Chronicles. They say to write what you know, so I based the geography on the region where I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I did a rough pencil sketch then hired designer Taran Lopez to make my vision beautiful.

I put the capital city where San Francisco would be located, naturally. My own town I placed in the Flats, as we are in a valley here. The San Joachin Valley became the Range. Napa and Sonoma, naturally, became the Vine. The Sierras became the Teeth. You get the idea.

You see in the map shaded areas labeled with skulls. Those are the Deadlands, places damaged by dark magic during the recent Sibling's War. Just as the war's curses marked Shiloh's body, so too did they mark the land where large battles took place, leaving them blackened and barren. In Hexborn, Shiloh discovers a way to heal portions of those lands. In Unclean, you'll see how she takes it further.

Do you look at the maps in books you are reading? Why or why not?

Inspirations for the Hexborn Chronicles

People often ask me where I get my ideas. Honestly, I'm not really sure about many of them, but there are a few I can trace back. Today, I'm sharing with you some of the inspirations behind my Hexborn Chronicles Series.

Some ideas I get from history. For example, the court in Hexborn is loosely based on that of Henry VIII. I went on a Philippa Gregory binge some years ago, and I found the people in and around the Tudor dynasty endlessly fascinating. As you may recall, Henry parted ways with the Pope because he wanted a divorce from his first wife in order to marry Anne Boleyn, partly due to his lack of a male heir. In Hexborn, King Rischar has taken over the church and cast his own wife aside for similar reasons. The Tudor line rose to power at the end of the War of the Roses, another fascinating time period in British history, in which cousins were fighting over the throne. So, I thought, what if you took royal adultery and a religious reformation, added a dash of wizards, and set it following a civil war between a brother and sister rather than between cousins? That's what inspired the political situation in the world of Hexborn.

The political situation in Unclean, book two of the series, is inspired partly by the Inquisition. When Mary became queen of England after the death of her father, Henry VIII, she married the king of Spain, bought back the Catholic Church, and started rounding up enemies and Protestants, Spanish style. In Unclean, Esta takes the throne and restores the Patriarch to power over the faith in Bryn. The church, in turn, helps her round up her own enemies along with Reformers and heretics.

As for main character Shiloh's and her hexborn condition, I think that idea began when I was thinking about Harry Potter and what would have happened if Bellatrix Lestrange had had a child. I mean, obviously, the Death Eater would be a terrible mother. But I wondered if all that dark magic she cast might affect the baby the way Voldemort's evil magic warped his appearance. What if magic could affect a baby the way some medicines can, leaving the child with a permanent disability? That question was the seed for Shiloh's character and her affliction.

As you can see, I'm influenced by history and by other fiction. You never know what will spark an idea. I hope you are interested enough to grab a copy of one of my books. Unclean will be out next week, and it is currently available for pre-order. Hexborn is on sale for two more weeks at the bargain price of $0.99. Happy reading!

The Unclean Trailer

I wanted to write today about the trailer I've created for Unclean, the Hexborn sequel being released on February 19th. I did things a little differently this time. I've recently gotten my first Mac (the new Mackbook Air, which I love), so this time I played around with a template in iMovie. Take a look, and let me know what you think.

I thought I'd tell you a little about some of the images I chose. I chose these two to represent the deepening of the relationship between Shiloh and Silas that takes place over the course of the book. I don't know that I would call it a proper romance, but their bond certainly changes character.

Here is a depiction of our primary villain, Fenroh. He's a priest in the Elder's Order, fanatical supporters of the Patriarch. He's also the Patriarch's illegitimate son. He merited a brief and unflattering mention in Hexborn. Silas characterized him as "unstable." You will get to see just how right he was in the first third of Unclean.

This one is meant to represent Shiloh's biological father, Keegan, the chief of the Feralfolk. As you know from Hexborn, Shiloh and Silas both have a violent history with him. You will get to find out more about the complexity of that history over the course of Unclean.

Anyway, I hope the trailer makes you excited to read the next chapter of Shiloh's adventure. Order your copy here, and happy reading!

The Unclean Playlist

As many of you know, whenever I write a book, I put together a playlist whose songs reflect various aspects or themes of the work. My playlist for Unclean (which drops February 19th!) is just about finished. You can follow it on Spotify and both enjoy the songs and keep up to date on any future additions to the list. In this post, I'll discuss the meaning behind my choices for a few of my fave songs on the list. In case you don't have Spotify, I'll also list all the songs at the end of this post, and you can find them on the streaming service of your choice.

I recently discovered The Secret Sisters, and I adore this song, "He's Fine." It's about pining for a lost/stolen love, and it makes me think of my character Daved Jennin, who loves Shiloh passionately but lost her to Silas when Silas arranged his marriage to Shiloh.

When I was young, Death Cab for Cutie (once known as The Postal Service) was all the rage. "You've Haunted Me All My Life" makes me think of the connection between Silas and Shiloh that began when Silas killed her mother on the occasion of Shiloh's birth, when Silas, himself, was barely more than a child.

Now, not all of the song fits, but take a look at these lyrics:

You've haunted me all my life

Through endless days and countless nights

There was a storm when I was just a kid

Stripped the last code of innocence . . .

And there's a flaw in my heart's design

For I keep trying to make you mine

Sound like a certain Lord Northgate we know and love?

Unclean finds the somewhat formal and strained relationship between Shiloh and Silas begin to develop a more romantic character. That prompted me to include another Secret Sisters song, "Rattle My Bones."

Lastly for today, a Laura Marling cover of "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" represent's Shiloh's avenging angel determination through much of the story in Unclean.

Here's a full list for your listening pleasure, and don't forget to order your copy of Unclean!

"Fast and Slow" by Sons of the East

"Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" by Cage the Elephant

"Hard Time" by Seinabo Say

"Electric Bones" by Findlay

"I Will Follow You Into The Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie

"Kid Fears" by the Indigo Girls

"Laughing With" by Regina Spektor

"Blue Lips" by Regina Spektor

"You've Haunted Me All My Life" by Death Cab for Cutie

"Far Away My Love" by Old Bear Mountain

"A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" by Laura Marling

"The River Song" by Old Bear Mountain

"Medicine" by Old Bear Mountain

"Pilgrim (You Can't Go Home)" by Dave Rawlings Machine

"Long Time Traveller" by The Wailin' Jennys

"Ain't No Grave" by Crooked Still

"The Littlest Birds" by The Be Good Tanyas

"He's Fine" by The Secret Sisters

"Tomorrow Will Be Kinder" by The Secret Sisters

"If I Don't" by The Secret Sisters

"Motherless Child" by The Wailin' Jennys

"Away But Never Gone" by The Wailin' Jennys

"The Times They Are A-Changin'" by Bob Dylan

Sexism in Fantasy Novels

We all live in a sexist world, though less so than it once was.  In our fantasy novels, however, more explicit sexism is often alive and well.  This is partly due to the fact that in many fantasy novels, especially of the high or epic fantasy variety, the society portrayed is quasi-historical or what I call "medieval-ish."  There's usually an aristocracy run by men, and a religion run by men, and an expectation that a woman must marry and have children.  Even when women do seize power, they have to contend with the mysogyny of their societies.

Take Cersei from Game of Thrones for an example.  None of the men in that series, odious as they might be, would ever have to take a "walk of shame."  Or Danerys, who rose to power only after her husband's death.  Westeros is a man's world, at least until things really start to unravel.

Even conttemporary fantasy Harry Potter portrays its share of sexism.  There are only two female Death Eaters named, for example, not counting Narcissa Malfoy, who is more of a hanger-on.  In the pro-Voldemort worldview, a woman's first duty is to produce pure-blooded wizards.

Then you have the works of fantasy that, rather than portraying a sexist world as a way to criticize misogyny, instead promote a sexist message themselves.  I would put Twilight into that category, as it glorifies controling behavior by a male partner.

There are plenty of examples of sexism in my own work as well.  The world of Hexborn is not kind to its women.  My imaginary country of Bryn is a largely agrarian society dominated by a male-centered magical aristocracy.  As it was during certain times and places in our own history, women are treated as the property of their fathers or their husbands, and the only path to a relatively independent life as a scholar is by entering a religious order and forgoing marriage and motherhood. 

Especially among the nobility, many women are married off at young ages, sometimes to men old enough to be their fathers or even grandfathers, and no one seems to think much about it.  Many of the girls with magical ability, at least the marriageable ones, drop out of school early lest they become too powerful or educated, and thus too threatening, to prospective husbands.  The queen’s value lies in producing a son, and woe betide her if she fails. I think you get the picture.

The sexism in this society even extends to the titular affliction.  Our main character, Shiloh, was born with a medical condition caused by the overuse of dark magic during pregnancy.  The extreme stigma around this condition is caused partly by the misogyny of the culture, which does not even consider the possibility that the mother might not be entirely to blame for this situation.

Shiloh, in some ways, steps outside the gender order.  Being hexborn makes her infertile, and her facility with fighting magic makes her too useful as a weapon to confine her to domestic duties.  This leads some to treat her, essentially, as an honorary man, as if they can’t bear to admit that she is a powerful woman.  Thus, she has to walk a fine line in order to remain “acceptable” while retaining her value to those in power.

Who are some of your favorite examples of women stepping outside of convention, either in fiction or history?  And how well do things work out for them?

Unclean Sneak Preview

I'm finally ready to share more about my next novel, Unclean.  It's the sequel to Hexborn, and it finds Silas and Shiloh in a heap of trouble.  Here is a sneak peek at what is in store for them at the beginning of Unclean.  This excerpt is from the end of the first chapter.  Enjoy!

Notice of Annulment. Silas hoped his grinding teeth were not audible. “And they plan to tell me when?” he managed to ask. “Before or after they clap me in irons?”

“I don’t know,” Kiven admitted. “My visions of your forthcoming doom are not dated for our convenience.”

“I appreciate the warning,” Silas told the Academy’s Master of Farsight. His eyes burned hot. He stared at the paper, irritated that it did not catch flame with the heat of his displeasure. “I feared this was coming when the Patriarch brought back the Cleanliness Laws.” He closed his eyes and opened them again. “I had a month of happiness with her. I suppose that was more than I deserve.”

“It was foolish to fall in love with her, though I can hardly fault your taste. I would not consider this development a positive sign with respect to your long-term safety. Yours or hers,” Kiven pointed out, unnecessarily.

“I know that, Kiven. I’m not an idiot,” Silas snapped. “Esta probably has my shackles already picked out.”
“Well, then, do forgive me for trying to help you,” Kiven retorted, easily affronted as ever.

Silas sighed. “I’m sorry, Kiven. I appreciate your help, truly. Will Shiloh be permitted to return to school, at least?”

Kiven shook his head. “She’s ordered Headmaster Markas to declare her graduated. Her Grace is frightened that the girl’s power grows too great. The thousand acres Shiloh healed in the Frontier, her work containing the fever, her handling of the incident with the Gernish raiders—it’s all fueled the queen’s paranoia. The Patriarch is only too willing to encourage her fear.”

“The Gernish Raiders? She and her men killed a half dozen wandless thieves. It was hardly anything to be frightened of,” Silas protested, throwing his hands into the air. “It was barely even worth notice. And the fever? Was Shiloh supposed to let it spread? Thousands would have died.”

“I know, I know,” Kiven replied. “But the tales are growing in the telling. Shiloh is becoming known as a defender of the common folk. And that won’t do with a weak queen on the throne.”

“Then what is Shiloh to do? Take holy orders and stay on at the monastery at Northgate?” Silas asked. At least there he could see her and know she was reasonably safe. His lips pressed together until they almost disappeared.

Kiven shook his head. “Rumor has it that Patriarch Vinsen has sent some of his priests north to fetch her.”

Silas felt his stomach turn to ice. “To make her join the Elder’s Order? To force her to serve him?” he asked.

Kiven swallowed grimly and placed a hand on Silas’s shoulder. “I’m not certain what the Patriarch intends. But I fear that would be the best of the possible outcomes.”

How do you suppose Shiloh will get them out of their predicament?  I'm afraid you'll have to wait until February 19th to find out--unless, of course, you would like to join the ARC Team.

You can pre-order Unclean now on Amazon Kindle.  And if you haven't gotten around to reading Hexborn yet, it's currently available for only $0.99!

Hexborn Holiday Sale

With Thanksgiving upon us, Black Friday and Cyber Monday will soon follow. So, I thought it would be fun to put Hexborn on sale, what with all the Kindles and Kindle Fires that will surely be purchased this weekend.  Grab a copy for yourself or a loved one for only 99 cents!  Need convincing?  Read the blurb and excerpt below.  Happy reading!

Blurb

Hexborn. Abomination. Unclean. Young Shiloh knows exactly what she is. She just refuses to let that stop her. Her illness might make her an outcast, but her broken body hides great magical power. And she intends to make the most of it.

Silas, the king’s ruthless fixer, seeks to use that power to preserve the uneasy peace the kingdom has enjoyed since the end of the Siblings’ War. Silas hauls Shiloh from her mountain village to the wizard academy at the king’s court, where magic and political intrigue conspire to create danger around every corner.

Can this child of war save the peace? Or will old sins rise to threaten Shiloh, Silas, and the kingdom of Bryn?

Excerpt

The dust betrayed them.  At the end of a long, dry summer in the Teeth, the hooves of their horses stirred up a cloud that billowed like smoke as they traversed the pass.  Shiloh made out a flash of blue that she reckoned must be Lord Blackmine's crest.  The Lord of the Teeth's men flew a banner with a white horse on a blue field. 

Not that we see it much, given his lordship’s lack of interest in defending his lands and his folk. 

The spots of red up in front she supposed might be Silas Hatch's household livery: a golden hatchet on blood crimson.

At least the man embraces his infamy.

She’d been packed for weeks, waiting.  She could have run.  That is what Brother Edmun had urged her to do, from his deathbed . . . Edmun, who had put her in mortal peril long before he'd learned to love her like a daughter.  

He had let Shiloh read all his letters to the City, the ones in which he’d begged the Hatchet to find a place for her at the Royal Academy.  He had extolled Shiloh’s virtue and her gifts at length, hopeful that his favorite old pupil would have mercy on his beloved young one.  But at the last, Edmun’s fear for her safety had overcome his hopes for her future, and he'd urged the girl to fly away before Hatch’s men came stomping up their mountains.

She had considered it.  As she'd wept into Edmun’s blankets after he'd finally breathed his last, she'd considered it.  As she’d watched his wands crumble to dust as they died with him, she’d considered it.  As she’d prepared him for burial, as she’d put him in the ground, as she had waited for weeks . . .

And, yet, here she stood, waiting patiently for an infamous, ruthless stranger to spirit her away.

As she watched the cloud of dust move ever closer to her home, she considered her choice one last time.  Her options were limited.  No other village would ever accept a hexborn stranger, and a bastard foundling at that.  Her own had only tolerated her because they’d feared to cross Edmun and her father, and because her skills had made her useful.  She was surprised they hadn’t tried to drive her out of town since her men had died. 

If not a village, then where?  Living as a hermit in the woods lacked appeal, not least because her ill health turned every winter into mortal combat.  Besides, the Feralfolk were not exactly fond of her.  She would be easily caught if she ventured any further west, closer to the City.  She had not the money to go abroad, to Estany.

Thus, she waited, and she hoped that all of her work, and all Edmun’s plotting, had not been in vain.  She wondered how the soldiers would react if her village failed to produce her.  

Not well, she thought.

It would serve them right.

***

Before Hatch and his men entered the village of Smoke Valley, there they were: a half-dozen charred skulls on pikes at the edge of the road leading down from the pass, a warning to outlaws to steer clear of the settlement.  He squinted and held out a gloved hand as if feeling for heat.  A muscle in his face twitched.

“Looks like they’re holding their own against the Feralfolk,” Perce observed.  The men grunted with approval after they traced superstitious circles on their foreheads.

“She, not they.  Magic killed them all,” Hatch countered grimly, before prodding his horse to continue past the macabre display.  He heard retching behind him and turned to find Wilar, the young priest sent to replace Edmun, vomiting into the brush. 

Hatch shook his head.  These high country folk are going to walk all over him.  Let’s hope he doesn’t pass out the first time he sees one of them chop the head from a chicken.

“A little girl from the Teeth, all by her lonesome, killed six grown men?” Perce asked skeptically.  “A girl who hasn’t even been to the Academy yet?  Isn’t it more likely this Brother Edmun did them in?”

Hatch fixed his sharp eyes upon his companion.  “That is possible, but as poor as his health has been these last years, I find it unlikely.  The rumors all say the girl killed them.  As to the child’s education, Brother Edmun was the finest sorcerer at the Royal Academy for decades before the war started.  He was the youngest headmaster ever appointed.  She’ll know more walking through the door than many of our most gifted noblemen know when they finish their studies.  You underestimate her at your peril.”

Perce held up his hands in surrender.  “Yes, Uncle.  It’s just . . . it’s a lot to believe.  A hexborn kid that he found in the woods grows up and kills grown Feralfolk without even having a wand to use?”

“She might have used one of his.  Stranger things have happened,” Hatch replied.  “And my source in South Lake has proved reliable in the past.  Evidently, the Feralfolk had just killed her father when the . . . incident . . . occurred.  That is certainly plausible motivation. 

“You’re not old enough to have been in the war.  I saw grieving wizards slaughter entire companies of men after losing a beloved companion on the battlefield; some of them were barely older than this foundling.  Power comes in unlikely packages, and rage can unlock any box you try to hide it in.”

“Where do you suppose she even came from?” Perce asked.

“There are a number of possibilities.  She was born in the last days of the war.  Many of the monks and nuns drafted into the fighting broke their vows in those days.  Of those who bore children from such illicit unions, some abandoned or killed them in the hopes of hiding their guilt.  Some ran off and became Feralfolk along with their offspring,” Silas explained patiently. 

“It is fortunate that the girl was found by someone interested in proving his loyalty.  Had she been raised a Feral, or spirited out of the country by the king’s enemies, she could have become a significant problem for the realm.  A weapon like that, in hostile hands,” Silas concluded, “could be devastating.”

“Do you think she’ll come quietly, Uncle Silas?”

“I think the chances are good.  Edmun claims that she is as devout and patriotic a lass as could be found anywhere.  Even if that is an exaggeration, if she were not clever, Edmun would not have bothered with her.  He never was an easy man to impress.  I doubt he gentled with age,” Silas opined.

“And if she seems like a threat, once we have her in hand?” his nephew asked.

Silas turned his intimidating gaze upon Perce once again.  “Then we shall fulfill our duty to kingdom and crown.  Why do you suppose King Rischar sent me to handle this myself?”

***

Grab your copy before the price goes back up!  If you'd like to get first crack at the sequel, sign up for my email list.  And welcome to the world of Hexborn! 

Sneak Peek: Book 2 of The Hexborn Chronicles

Spoiler alert: If you haven't finished Hexborn, avert your eyes!

I'm excited to report that I have recently finished the first draft of the Hexborn sequel!  Right now I'm working hard on revisions, but I couldn't wait to share a little bit with you.  Enjoy!

***

“Drink it down. I know it’s vile, but drink it all if you want to live.”

Shiloh cradled Hedsin’s head with her silk-clad forearm and held the cup to his cracked lips. The farmer looked up at her with skeptical eyes, but he did as she had bid him, a little of the disgusting concoction dripping onto Shiloh’s glove.

“Might’ve been kinder to slit my throat, my lady,” he coughed.

She smiled down at him indulgently, but grim lines framed her pink eyes. “Now, now. In a few days, when you’re bouncing that new grandson on your knee, you won’t feel the same, I’ll warrant.”

Shiloh straightened her back and squared her shoulders. “I must get on to the next afflicted house,” she told Hedsin’s wife, Deenah. “Make sure you and yours keep your charms pinned to your clothes at all times, lest this spread to the rest of you. At. All. Times.” She held the woman’s eyes with stern resolve.

“Yes, my lady,” Deenah replied, bobbing her head and wringing her hands. “Thank you, my lady.”

“You are most welcome.” Shiloh handed her three ribbons and pulled her away from her husband’s sickbed. She lowered her voice to continue, “Now, tie the black one on the door if he dies. The red one if someone else shows symptoms, so I can bring the medicine. The white when he recovers. That means no fever for twenty-four hours.”

Deenah nodded. “How many are sick in the village?” she asked anxiously.

Shiloh inhaled deeply. “Three dozen. Plus five in the monastery, and four in the castle. A dozen more in the barracks, maybe more. I hear it’s terrible in Gerne. That’s probably where it started. I had a letter from my lord husband to that effect.”

Deenah traced a circle on her forehead. “Gods preserve us,” she breathed.

“Indeed,” Shiloh agreed, tracing her own circle. “Gods preserve us.”



***



“Go back to your homes,” Shiloh ordered, her voice hoarse but resolute.

She stood on the back of a hay wagon, wand in hand, cold wind snapping her purple headscarf behind her with a loud crack. Northgate Castle stood behind her, dark and lurking against the pink of dawn. Several dozen frightened villagers stood before her, attempting to flee the plague that had swept in from the north.

“We’re not going to stay here to die, my lady!” one of the men yelled. Shiloh could hear some of them saying, “Abomination!” under their breath.

“Do as I tell you, and you won’t,” Shiloh spat back. “Wear the protective charms I gave you. Boil your water. Cook all your food through. Stay inside. Mark your door if any of your folk take ill, and I will send medicine. If you leave this place and grow ill, there will be no help for you. You will die in the woods, alongside the road, in the cold. No other village will let you through their walls. They know you’ve been exposed to the Red Fever. They know, because I sent word to every settlement within a hundred and fifty miles.”

Some in the mob began to look at each other, uncertain in the face of their lady’s opposition.

“I know you’re afraid,” Shiloh said more gently. “But I assure you the gifted sisters at the monastery and I are doing all we can to protect you. And I cannot allow you to spread this pestilence south and east. I will not. The safety of this kingdom depends on stopping the fever here.”

Her wand began to glow, and the crowd, as one, took a wary step backward.

“I survived the Red Fever as a child, a crippled and sickly child at that. If I could, so can you. Go home, for the Gods’ sakes. You’ll be safer there. I promise.”

“And if we don’t?” someone called belligerently.

“Then make yourselves comfortable here in the dirt, because you are going nowhere.” Shiloh raised her wand and hummed, and a shimmering dome filled the sky, encasing the castle and its surrounding village, forming a glowing barrier that began a few dozen yards from where they stood. A fearful murmur rustled like dead leaves. Some of the children whimpered, which nearly broke Shiloh’s heart.

“I wouldn’t touch that if I were you,” she warned them, sheathing her wand. “Not if you’re fond of your hands. Now, I have more than enough work to do, between saving your neighbors and chasing off Gernish raiders. Don’t bother me with this foolishness again, and thank the Gods I’m a patient girl. If my husband were here, make no mistake, he’d have killed at least one of you for an example. Go home.”

She jumped down from the cart and strode through the crowd, head high and heart pounding. To her immense relief, they opened to make her a path. Most of them even bowed a respectful head.

“Would that really take off a hand?” Brother Charls whispered in her ear as he fell in beside her for the walk back to the castle.

Shiloh snorted. “Of course not. I’m powerful, but not powerful enough to keep up something like that without paying attention to it. Besides, one of the children might stumble into it. It’s just a light show.”

Charls swallowed a laugh. “What if they test it?”

“They won’t,” Shiloh asserted with far more confidence than she felt. “They won’t.”

They didn’t.

Hexborn Playlist: Music to Read By

Hexborn is out today!  To celebrate, and to enhance your reading experience, I'm sharing with you some music to read by.

I love all kinds of music.  I'm a singer, and while I'm in the process of writing and editing a book, I often run across songs that touch me and speak to a particular aspect of the story I'm in the midst of creating.  Gradually, I accumulate a list of songs that go along with the novel in some way.

This time, the list was also influenced by the sudden death of my father last fall.  Since he died, I've been listening to a lot of blues and bluegrass, two genres he exposed me to as a child.  You'll see that this Hexborn list is heavily composed of bluegrass and alternative country with a few Blues songs and a couple of more pop tunes.  The bluegrass emphasis is appropriate to the story, since Shiloh, my main character, comes from a small mountain community.

I'll highlight just a few songs for you here.

I chose "Grinnin' in Your Face" by Son House because I adore Son House and because Shiloh, my main character, is the victim of a lot of insults and gossip.  She is bullied because she was born with a medical condition that renders her unclean in the eyes of her neighbors.  She does her best not to allow it to get to her, as advised by Son House in this tune, and she is comforted by the steadfast support of a few treasured loved ones.

"The Water" always makes me cry these days.  To me, it is a song about death and dying.  Shiloh is mourning both her father and her mentor when the book begins, and as I am mourning my own dad, it really speaks to me.

"Love is All" always brings to my mind the character of Silas Hatch, aka "the Hatchet."  He's a man who has hardened his heart in order to be able to fulfill what he sees as his duty, but there is enough of that heart left to contain some very strong loyalties and sentimental ties.

You can listen to the whole playlist on Spotify, but if you don't have Spotify, here is a list of songs and artists:

• "Jolene" by Rhoda Vincent
• "Dance Upon Your Grave" by The Brothers Comatose
• "Troubles" by Anne and Elizabeth
• "Heaven's Gate" by Dawn Landes & Piers Faccini
• "Twitch and Tug" by Hugo
• "Once Was Lost" by Old Bear Mountain
• "Sing to the Mountain" by Elephant Revival
• "Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor" by Mississippi John Hurt
• "Blue Ridge Mountain" by Hurray for the Riff Raff
• "The Body Electric" by Hooray for the Ridd Raff
• "Love is All" by The Tallest Man on Earth
• "The Captain and the Hourglass" by Laura Marling
• "Wrong Black Mare" by Brown Bird
• "Little Sadie" by Doc Watson
• "From Finner" by Of Monsters and Men
• "Hit 'Em Up Style" by Carolina Chocolate Drops
• "The Water" by Johnny Flynn & Laura Marling
• "Spirits" by The Strumbellas
• "The River Song" by Old Bear Mountain
• "Grinnin' in Your Face" by Son House
• "Tusk" by Fleetwood Mac
• "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes
• "Can't Catch Me" by Avicii

I hope you enjoy listening as you read!  Grab your copy today, in either ebook or paperback.

Five-Star Review for Hexborn from Readers' Favorite

I'm thrilled to share this early, 5-star review for Hexborn, courtesy of Carol Beth Anderson from Readers' Favorite.

Hexborn: The Hexborn Chronicles Book 1 by A.M. Manay tells the riveting story of Shiloh Teethborn, a sixteen-year-old orphan. Shiloh is hexborn, accustomed to being an outcast due to the physical evidence of curses she received before birth. But not everyone rejects Shiloh. She has magical abilities, and the chief minister of the kingdom, Silas Hatch, thinks she will be of value to the king. Silas takes Shiloh from her small-town life and brings her to the capital to live in the palace, attend classes in magic, and serve the royal family. It doesn’t take long for Shiloh to attract attention, thanks to her considerable power. She must quickly learn to navigate the rocky paths of politics, relationships, and society. At every step, Silas is there to help her—but can she trust the man known as “the king’s hatchet”?

It’s been some time since I’ve found myself so intrigued by a new fantasy realm. The magical setting of Hexborn is drawn with vivid color and depth, and it’s populated by nuanced, fascinating characters. Shiloh’s vulnerability and strength join to make her immensely likeable, a character worth rooting for. Beneath the stories of intrigue and relationships, Hexborn presents deeper messages about prejudice, both societal and personal. I’m already eagerly anticipating the release of the second book of the series. When I’m lucky enough to discover an independent author with such storytelling prowess, I get a thrill out of it. This was one of those times. Discovering A.M. Manay’s writing was a delight, and I’m looking forward to reading her other novels. Go ahead and grab that pre-order if you haven't already.  Hexborn is going places!

Wednesday Work-In-Progress: Plotting with Silas

With Hexborn about to drop in a few short weeks, here is a peek at the untitled sequel currently in progress . . .

***

“I don’t know. Tunneling is inherently dangerous work,” Shiloh replied, worrying at her bottom lip. “And this would be a really long tunnel.”

“So is an attack on a superior force,” Silas pointed out. “And we don’t know how much they know about what happened at the Citadel. They could be ready for us, expecting us to show up here for Loor. Hell, they could have already moved Mosspeak, Penn, and the princess somewhere else. And I don’t think you’ll be able to catch them by surprise like you did the priests.”

She nodded. “It only worked because none of them bothered with wards inside the walls. Their arrogance was the key. But these men will be expecting me, most likely.”

“Agreed,” her husband replied.

“We need some information before we act, don’t we? Before we break everyone out and make a run for it?” Shiloh argued. “The Gernish troops need to think everything is fine for a few days at least, if we’re to have any hope of getting away clean. They might have some people inside the castle, too. We need to know how many, how often they report in.”

“Fair enough,” Silas replied. “We do need to know their patterns, how much information they have about what is going on in Fountain Bluff and in the kingdom at large.”

“We need a spy,” Shiloh concluded. Her eyes ran over the company until they landed on Jivan.

“You really think so?” Silas asked, following her gaze. “You trust him? He could walk in there and give us up in the first five minutes.”

“He’s a good boy. Kind. I saved his mother’s life. She almost died of Red Fever up at Northgate. And he’s got it pretty bad for Hana,” Shiloh countered.

“I killed his father,” Silas pointed out.

“I don’t get the impression that they were close,” Shiloh replied. Silas eyed her skeptically. “I know, it is a risk,” Shiloh acknowledged. “But he grew up in Gerne, and he wore the gray. They’ll be predisposed to trust him. He can tell them he barely got away with his life, ask them for help. Keep his ears open for a few days, then slip away. If he is willing. I feel bad about sending someone so young into danger.”

“I don’t like the idea of sending him in alone,” Silas argued. “I don’t know him enough to trust him. I do know him enough to be worried about what they’ll do to him if they make him. He’s still a boy.”

“I agree with you on the latter point,” Shiloh acknowledged. “I could use a concealment spell, go in myself, invisible.”

“No,” Hatch pushed back. “You haven’t regained much strength since your display of force last week. You’re liable to fall ill any day. And if it overtakes you while you are among those pigs . . .”

“Well, your concealment spell is rubbish, so what are we supposed to do?” Shiloh countered.

***

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