Of Love & Betrayal

Aveline de Bondeville is on the run. Determined to keep out of the hands of the cruel Raimbaut de Blois she will do whatever it takes to stay alive. And so when she finds herself in the company of Troy de Gysborne she must quickly decide if she can trust him. But can she confess to murder knowing it would mean her certain death?
 
Troy de Gysborne did the unthinkable; he tore the bonds of brotherhood and left a path of destruction in his wake. And now Troy must face those he betrayed, including the father who long ago renounced him. But to confess to the crime he committed will cost him everything. Including Aveline. But can he remain silent if it means losing the woman he loves?

 

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EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT - Part 1 - Of Love and Betrayal

“You cannot escape me, you murderous whore!”

Aveline remained pressed against the tree, desperate to be at one with it. Her heart rammed against her ribs, and she did not dare move, nor did she dare breath, afraid he’d be able to hear her. She glanced at the sky and caught glimpses of the moon through the lattice of leaves and branches. The shadows around her thrashed and snapped as the wind tore through the forest. She rubbed her wrists, bruised and swollen from having been tied. Her lips throbbed, and when she licked them, she tasted the saltiness of blood. Her back, still raw from the flogging, stung as sweat snaked down her spine.

 

“You are a fool if you think you can escape me!”

The fine hairs on her arms stood on end. Her knees shook. Her belly tightened. And when a twig snapped from somewhere behind, she shoved a fist into her mouth to keep from crying out. She risked a glance over her shoulder. She was greeted with only the blackness of the forest.

She felt safe pressed against the tree but knew she wasn’t. It would only be a matter of time before Raimbaut found her. She inhaled deeply. The scent of rotting leaves filled her nose. Another twig snapped and she pushed herself away from the tree, and with her arms held out in front of her, she sprinted deeper into the woods. Her booted feet skidded on moss-covered rocks, and her bare hands pushed through low-lying tree branches. She stumbled over bumpy roots and shivered as wet leaves brushed against her cheeks.

“You will hang for what you have done!”

His cruel, hellish, voice sounded near. Her heart pounded. Sweat broke over her brow, and she fought to get air into her lungs. He was right. She could keep running, but she would never escape him.

Footsteps sounded behind her. She leapt into the thick scrub and bit back a cry as a sharp twig tore at the flesh on her arm. But the pain was nothing in comparison to what she had already suffered. And would suffer if she allowed Raimbaut to recapture her.

Her hunter stopped in front of her. She could smell his pungent scent on the wind. She could see his yellowed teeth in the dull moonlight. She carefully felt around her, and when her hand landed on the solidness of a fallen tree branch, she wrapped her fingers around it.

He placed his hands on his hips as he peered at the thick scrub that was her shelter. Could he see it move as her entire body shook? Could he see the whites of her eyes? Smell her fear? He took a step toward her, and her teeth sank into her lower lip. Then he turned on his heel and headed further into the woods.

Aveline sat back on her heels as the sound of her heartbeat thrashed in her ears. Her hand shook as she wiped cold sweat from her upper lip, black spots appeared in her vision. Her nostrils flared as she bit down a primal scream. She needed to keep fleeing.

She sensed him behind her seconds before his heavy hand landed on her shoulder.

“I told you I would find you, you whore!”

Her scream was wild. In one fluid movement, she stood and swung the branch and whacked him on the side of his skull. His eyes widened, and he dropped his torch. The flame hissed and sizzled, but did not extinguish itself, as it hit the damp ground. Then he fell to the ground with a loud thump. Aveline dropped her weapon. And when he groaned, she picked up her skirts and raced into the darkness.

She did not dare look behind her. She did not dare cry out as she slipped and fell on the wet, rotting forest floor. Her chest burned, her lungs gasped for air as she fought her way through the thick undergrowth. If the devil took a human form, then it was of the man who pursued her with single-minded determination.

She raced across a clearing and came to a skidding halt as she teetered on the edge of a rocky overhang. The moonlight was not bright enough to see the ravine below. She backed away from the crumbling edge and looked wildly around. A gust of wind whipped her hair into her eyes, but she did not need to see to know he’d found her. He sounded like a bear as he charged through the scrub. Above the howl of the wind, his roar echoed through her ears.

He took slow, purposeful steps toward her. His torch glared in her eyes, and that’s when she saw the blood. On her hands. On her dress. None of it belonged to her.

“You murdered my father.”

 OF LOVE AND VENGEANCE - AVAILABLE HERE

OF LOVE AND BETRAYAL - AVAILABLE HERE

Murderess? Or just a woman trying to survive?

Aveline de Bondeville - murderess or just a woman trying to survive in the violent times that is the medieval period? That is the question.

But, before we go anywhere that particular elephant in the room, let's find out a little more about Aveline - the heroine of, Of Love and Betrayal. 

Unlike our hero, Troy, who we met HERE, Aveline doesn't come from a cast of thousands, otherwise known as family. She's an only child and her mother died when she was only eight. She lived with her step-father and to say things were hellish for her would be a slight understatement. Well, slight IS an understatement. Her step-father is not a cool dude, he's not a good guy.

In fact, it was because of her stepfather that Aveline ended up with the de Blois. Who are they? Well, they're a father and son duo you really do not want to meet in a dark alley.

But,  I digress.

Just like Troy de Gysborne, Aveline was born on 21 September 1105. I know right? They share the same birthday. Not as uncommon as you may think. I share a birthday with my sister - we're both born on 19 April, three years apart!

She has a most desirable quality to be able to forgive. Eventually. She doesn't hold grudges. She's a tough cookie. She can admit when she'd wrong. Eventually. And she can look after herself. Although, sometimes she can be a bit pigheaded about this. Others can help her - if only she was willing to accept their help.

A birthday isn't the only thing Troy and Aveline share. Like Troy, Aveline likes solitude, or at least this is what she wants people to think. Deep down, she yearns for what Troy has. A family. She wants to be someone's daughter. Someone's sister. Someone's aunt. Someone's mother. And she can have all this.

BUT...

Well, there is the slight fact she is wanted for murder. Remember the de Blois father and son duo I mentioned above? Aveline kind of killed the father, Bertram de Blois. And his son, Raimbaut wants revenge. And this dude is one of these dudes who will not stop until he get's that revenge.

Now, I feel obligated to mention here that Aveline didn't just decide to wake up one day and kill Bertram. I want to be able to tell you what happened, but, this is Aveline's story to tell. So, I'm going to leave it up to her.

So, while on the run from this angry looking dude:

Aveline finds herself in the company of Troy de Gysborne.

And they lived happily ever after!

Yeah, right.

Troy, being the guy he is, wants to do everything to protect Aveline. So he takes her back to Gysborne Castle.

Troy will do whatever it takes to protect Aveline.

And then Eudes shows up.

Who the heck is Eudes? Oh, did I not mention Aveline is married? Yeah, slight over looking of facts there.

Eudes wants her back.
Troy doesn't want to let her go.
Raimbaut is still after her blood.

And what does Aveline want? 

I'm going to let her tell you herself. But, I can reveal this little bit of information about how both she and Troy are starting to feel about each other.

But Eudes is determined to get Aveline back. 

As determined as Raimbaut is to kill Aveline?

Rock. Hard place. Oh. Em. Gee.

So, if you want to find out how all this plays out be sure to pick up your copy of, Of Love and Betrayal. COMING SOON!

In the meantime, why not read the story that started it all - Of Love and Vengeance. OUT NOW!

Who is in the mood for a little love and betrayal? The fiction kind of course!

Artist: Diana Carlile

Let's start getting in the mood for a little love and betrayal! Ooooh la-la!

Over the coming weeks I'm going to start releasing a few interesting bits and pieces about the key players of, Of Love & Betrayal - the follow up to, Of Love and Vengeance.

Of Love & Betrayal (available for pre-order soon) - features the grandson of Laila and Aymon, the hero and heroine from, Of Love and Vengeance. You may want to pick up your copy of Vengeance, which is currently available for a limited for 99 cents.

I had so much fun writing Of Love & Betrayal. It was an interesting journey finding out what happened two generations after the happily ever after of the first book. How did Laila and Aymon's children turn out? Their grandchildren? Would we see Laila and Aymon's influence on the generations to come? Or did they go completely off the rails? Would Laila and Aymon be proud of the generations that followed? 

So many questions! And they have all (and then some!) been answered in, Of Love & Betrayal.

I'm going to break with tradition here. I know it is usually customary and polite to first introduce the ladies - but, I'm making an executive decision and I'm going to introduce you to the hero first. You'll soon see why! *swoon*

So, without further ado let's meet...

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Picked your jaw off the floor yet? I haven't! I could look at him all day. And just between you and I, I practically have...

So, what do we know about Troy? 

Well, let's start with the usual stuff. Troy de Gysborne was born on 21 September 1105. He's the grandson of Lady Laila and Lord Aymon. His parents are Duke Heward and Duchess Bernadine (Lady L and Lord A's daughter). His siblings are Algernon and Hewett. All boys. Troy is the youngest. And he has several nieces and nephews.

You may have noticed that Troy comes from a family full of titles. But, don't think he rubs that in anyone's face. In fact, he downplays his titled family. He's not uncomfortable about it, he just doesn't see the need to highlight that fact. So, he's a bit of a cool dude but he doesn't necessarily want to be one of the gang. He's a bit of a loner. Partly by choice. Partly by circumstance. He likes his own company and could spend hours on his own. But, despite what he may tell himself, he really does need someone special in his life.

Oh, and he's good with his hands. *snigger* No, get your mind out of that place - I really do mean, he's good with his hands. He's very skilled at carving trinkets out of wood.

And he's also a mean storyteller too. Honestly, you could listen to him for hours as he spins tales of Orkney lore.

Like his grandfather, Lord A, Troy has a strong moral code. Sometimes overly so, if that is at all possible. And he's a bit of a black and white thinker. He has trouble seeing the shades of gray. This is both a good and bad thing.

And he's stubborn. Just like his father. Although, he can't really see the similarities between himself and his father. 

Troy is someone you definitely want on side. He'll fight to protect you, no matter what. Sometimes without much care for his own safety. Or life. 

When he raced into that burning hut to rescue that little girl? *tears*

Now, as much as I would like to, I can't gloss over the fact Troy has done something that has seen his father disown him and his brother want to kill him... *insert incidental music here*

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Oh. Em. Gee. What has he done? Eeek, I can't tell you. It's not my story to tell. You'll need to read, Of Love & Betrayal to find out. All I can say is...yikes. And yikes again. And then possibly, oh okay.

And Troy makes the ladies swoon...

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So, if you want to find out more about Troy de Gysborne be sure to keep an eye out on, Of Love & Betrayal. COMING SOON!

In the meantime, enjoy the story that started it all!

Cover Artist: RJ Morris

Creating a Scene...

Many years ago, when I first started learning the craft of writing, someone said to me, ‘treat your setting like you would any other character in your story’. At first, I didn’t exactly understand what was meant by that. After all, is setting really that important? Do we really need to give it as much attention as our hero and heroine’s character? Yes, and yes. We do.

You see, setting isn’t just about where the story takes place. Setting, and its characteristics, can really add dimension to your scene and story as a whole. What do I mean by this?

Well, take a forest for example. Yes, it’s full of trees, and you could easily leave it at that. But, a forest is so much more than that. Let’s use the five scenes to create a character for our forest.

SIGHT

Think about what you would see in a forest. There are wild mushrooms, sap crusts, spider webs, and thick underbrush, to name but a few.

SOUND

What would you hear in a forest? Squawking birds, groaning trees, animal screeches, or the scrabbling of lizards on tree bark. Think back to the last time you were in the forest. What did you hear?

SMELL

Personally, I love the smell of a forest. It’s richly scented with wild flowers, and the minty, pine, honey scent of eucalyptus trees. But, the forest can also smell unpleasant. There are stagnant pools of water, dead animals, and the foul smell of animal dung.

TASTE

What about the taste of a forest? Now, before you run off into the forest, in the name of research, to find out the tastes of a forest, just be careful not to pop random berries or leaves into your mouth for obvious reasons! Think about what can be found in the forest? What does a mushroom taste like? Are berries sweet or sour?  And what would pine needle tea taste like?

TOUCH

Have you ever ran through a forest? What did the leaves feel like as they brushed against your sleeveless arms, or as you brushed up against the rough bark of a tree? How does the soft forest breeze feel against your heated skin, or the hot, muggy, thick unmoving air, that makes your clothes stick to your body?

Of course, the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches of a forest in winter will be greatly different to a forest in summer, or spring, or autumn. They will even be different between morning, noon and evening. And do not get me started on a forest in the dead of night. SPOOKY!

Do you see, just by really thinking about each of the senses, our forest that is just full of trees, really takes on a life of its own? It comes alive and your readers will feel as if they are there in the forest with your characters.

One last point. As a rule of thumb, I tend to use at least two (three if possible) of the five senses in every scene.

Here is an example from my own writing. This piece is taken from my latest release, Of Love and Vengeance.

The first example is a scene without using any of the sense to set the scene:

She stood poised in the middle of the stream, her bow and arrow at the ready, as she waited for tonight’s evening meal to swim by.

It's a bit blah, isn't it? You don't really feel like you're there in the stream with her. There is no connection to the scene.

Now, here it is with the senses...

The sun was warm on Laila’s back, and she closed her eyes and sighed as the cool, clean crisp water slipped over her bare feet. The mud, sticky and thick, squished between her curled toes. The low hum of insects and trill of birds filled the otherwise quiet clearing.

She stood poised in the middle of the stream, her skirts hitched up around her thighs and her bow and arrow at the ready, as she waited for tonight’s evening meal to swim by. She winced as the sharp edge of a rock bit into the fleshy under sole of her foot. But she did not dare move.

See the difference, aside from the increased word count!

Why not pick out a scene you’re currently working on and think about the setting. How many of the five senses have you used? Can you add more depth to your scene by getting to know your setting?

If you’re feeling brave, why not share a paragraph or two that clearly shows the characteristics of your setting by using at least three of the five senses?

Happy writing!