Ties of Smoke by Claudia Herring Excerpt & Giveaway

Ties of Smoke

by Claudia Herring

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GENRE: Fantasy

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BLURB:

Lady Lavinia Bramley is master of a Djinni.

Lavinia runs away from her husband to make a life with the djinni Yasir, but it’s not what she thought, not pearls and flying carpets and wishes come true . . .

Her desperate efforts to find happiness with Yasir are foiled by her husband’s reappearance, murder attempts by the jealous magician who cursed Yasir to the urn, and Yasir’s desire for revenge.

Lavinia finds love, and loyalty, are as ephemeral as ties of smoke.

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EXCERPTS 

Chapter 32, pages 4-5

Lavinia dropped the knife as she lunged. She grabbed Alice by the shoulders. “Don’t you dare lie to me!” she screamed. “You know what happened to him. Tell me!”

One of the horses whinnied and stamped his feet. Alice’s solid body faded to emptiness in Lavinia’s hands. Lavinia kneaded the air with her fingers, grasping for the warm flesh that was there a moment ago. “Alice?” She twisted around, searching for her aunt. How could Alice do this to her? Tricks and obfuscation.

Her aunt appeared by the horse and stroked his head, murmuring, “Dast dim humari.”

Lavinia started towards them, but Alice suddenly materialized in front of her, blocking the way. Lavinia let out a screech, stepped backwards and tripped on the wine bottle, tipping it over. She regained her foothold, swayed for a moment, then steadied herself, keeping a wary eye on her aunt.

A subtle golden glow wavered around Alice. “Yes, Nia, I know Yasir from long ago. I know many things. I am here to help you, but you resist.” She vanished and her voice came from behind Lavinia. “Let me help you. Show me what you have seen.”

Lavinia whirled around, only to find Alice gone.

“How do I know you are for Yasir?” Lavinia called out to the air. She turned to see Alice standing calmly in front of her and braced herself, legs wider apart. “Yasir didn’t like you.” Lavinia moved backwards, away from her aunt. “He objected to things you wanted him to do.”

Alice rose into the air and floated to where she was suspended inches above the tablecloth. Lavinia dared not blink. She stared into her aunt’s eyes.

“Paltry disagreements, Nia.” Alice glided nearer. To Lavinia’s horror she felt their noses touch. “Yasir and I are close. We grew up together.” Alice’s breath was warm, yet chills prickled Lavinia’s neck.

Lavinia sidled towards the horses. Alice kept pace. “You cannot escape me, Nia. But you must understand I am here to help you.”

 

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 She turned to see Alice standing calmly in front of her and braced herself, legs wider apart. “Yasir didn’t like you.” Lavinia moved backwards, away from her aunt. “He objected to things you wanted him to do.”

Alice rose into the air and floated to where she was suspended inches above the tablecloth. Lavinia dared not blink. She stared into her aunt’s eyes.

“Paltry disagreements, Nia.” Alice glided nearer. To Lavinia’s horror she felt their noses touch. “Yasir and I are close. We grew up together.” Alice’s breath was warm, yet chills prickled Lavinia’s neck.

Lavinia sidled towards the horses. Alice kept pace. “You cannot escape me, Nia. But you must understand I am here to help you.”

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Claudia Herring aspired to be a baton twirler when she was five and an archaeologist at thirteen. When she became a graphic designer and an author of fantasy, she decided she'd hit upon the perfect compromise.

Along the way she worked as a gift wrapper, a server in a Mexican restaurant at an amusement park (where she rode the Black Dragon at midnight—an actual ride, not a sexual allusion) and an illustrator in medical graphics (where they featured videos on wound healing during lunch) at the Texas Medical Center.

Her novel, His Master's Bride, a historical fantasy with romantic elements set in Regency England, won first prize in the Houston Writer's Guild Novel Competition. Ties of Smoke is the second in the series The Djinn Chronicles.

When she's not delving into the world of the Djinn, Claudia is practicing yoga to go to that hushed space where she imagines and plots her next fantasy novel.

If you like Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series or Carol Berg’s Soul Mirror series you'll love His Master’s Bride and Ties of Smoke.

Links:

Website: http://www.claudiaherring.com

Blog: http://www.claudiaherring.com/blog  

Twitter: @claudiakherring 

Facebook: http:www.facebook.com/claudia.herring.writer

Amazon author: http://www.amazon.com/author/claudiaherring

TIES OF SMOKE on amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Ties-Smoke-Novel-Djinn-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B01M2BXKD9/ref=sr_1_1

HIS MASTER’S BRIDE on amazon: http://tinyurl.com/mg83vjj

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