The week is
almost over. The summer is whishing past quickly. This week, Sandy Bruney, a longtime
friend, is my guest author.
Books,
Chocolate, and Wine…my favorite three things! Thank you, Ruth, for allowing me
to visit today. I am excited to share some good news: my paranormal, A Question of Time, is a RONE finalist!
This
was so unexpected I didn’t believe it at first when I saw the announcement on
Facebook. It was a long and winding road (yes, the Beatles are another
favorite).
Here
is how it happened. I submitted a book that I had slaved over (and is still
unpublished, alas). While working on it, I took a break and wrote a story for
my own amusement. I hadn’t tried the paranormal genre and thought it would be
fun to experiment. I tossed in time travel, telekinesis, shape shifting, and
oh, yes, an alternate history. In my book, the United States is totally
isolated from the world and ruled by the Jeffersonian dynasty and a Parliament.
The
publisher, CleanReads, passed on the submission, but asked if I had anything
else ready. Gulp. I sent in the book I never thought would see the light of
day, and it was accepted!
To
finish this story, I wrote a sequel, “A
Question of Loyalty” and then a third to end the trilogy, A Question of Time.
Throughout
the books, Caroline and Nathan use their paranormal gifts while serving their
county and king. The story takes them from their initial romance to
honeymooners (book 2) and finally, a family. The last book was the hardest to
write, because in it Nathan questions the morality of his gift and almost loses
his life when he is accused of kidnapping and possibly murdering King Thomas
IV. And yes, I also reveal how and why the first Thomas Jefferson accepted the
crown.
Sort
of.
I
submitted the book to InD’tale magazine for a review and was delighted with the
result. As if that wasn’t enough, it garnered a nomination for the RONE, and
much to my astonishment, it got enough votes from readers to become a finalist.
The results will be announced in October.
In time, there
are infinite places to hide a king.
When The Great Manzini kidnaps King Thomas IV during
a magic show at the Ford Theater, Nathan recognizes his old enemy Rasmussen. He
confronts the villain, who sends him sixty years into the future. On his
return, Nathan is arrested as an accomplice to kidnapping and possible murder.
Caroline must rescue the king to prove her husband’s innocence…but where in
time is he?
4.5 Star Review:
A Question of Time Sandy
Bruney
This
is a refreshing and original take on everything from time travel to
shape-shifting creatures. The author’s deft prose is perfectly suited to the
narrative and the settings she creates with subtle nuances of tone and mood.
A Question of Time is not a
typical book by any means. Fast-paced and intelligent, it is a fantastic read
in any universe. ….Gwenellen Tarbet InD’tale
Magazine
Buy Links: An e-book available at:
Excerpt from A
Question of Time:
Caroline
shut the door to her room and sagged against it for a moment. She hadn’t slept
in nights. Day had followed day with no word, and each day her despair grew—a
despair she was careful to keep hidden. Her cheerful optimism came with a
price, and she felt that her inner strength had reached its limit.
Where, or when, was Nathan?
She
didn’t want to get into her lonely bed, so she sat in her chair, feet tucked
under her, hands clasped loosely in her lap. She let her head fall back and
shut her eyes, remembering the first time she had seen him, annoyed at her
pestering and not bothering to hide it. She knew now she had been naïve to
request his help in finding Father, who turned out not to have been kidnapped
after all, but Nathan had been kind enough to go along with her search, only to
realize others were also searching for the inventor, and not with benign
intentions.
As
they faced danger together, she had felt herself fall hopelessly in love with
the handsome, auburn-haired man with intense green eyes.
She
had never expected to find love. She was too tall, too gawky. Moreover, while
nursing her mother during her final illness, she had missed the parties and
dances, the outings where young men and women learned to flirt with each other.
She hadn’t learned to be coy, but blurted out what she was thinking. She rushed
into situations without heeding the consequences.
Nathan
hadn’t seemed to notice her awkwardness. He occasionally got angry with her,
but only because he feared for her safety. He respected her opinions, as if he
thought she had a brain and could use it.
Then
Father came home and all went back to the way it had been. She ran his household,
obeyed his whims, and kept her dreams to herself.
Until Matilda. After his marriage, Father had
declared he would find Caroline a husband. Horrified at the thought, she had
run to Nathan and begged him to take her to Washington with him as his clerk.
Instead,
he had proposed. And they had married that same day, much to Father’s
astonishment.
She
laughed even as a tear trailed down her cheek.
And
suddenly she felt his presence. She opened her eyes.
And
he was there.
About the Author:
Sandy Bruney is
a native of New York State, but has lived in North Carolina for half her life.
When not at the keyboard inventing new stories, she enjoys reading, working in
the yard, and visiting with her three adult sons and their families, including
three grandchildren. She is the organizer and past president of her local
writing group, and is active in her church. She also volunteers at the animal
shelter and has two rescue cats.
Website:
http://www.sandrazbruney.com
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/SandraBruney
I loved "A Question of Boundaries" and am not surprised with your RONE nomination! Best wishes for continued success!
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