Deedee Davies joins us today. Her work has graced both the insides and outsides of books. It’s a pleasure to have her pop in today.
Bio:
Deedee Davies is a short story author and novelist interested mainly in the fantasy, horror and science-fiction genres. She has had five short stories published to date in publications from Seventh Star Press, Horrified Press and EMBY Press. Deedee is also a cover artist, with around thirty published book covers under her belt. She lives in Plymouth, UK with her partner, ten spiders and four snakes.
Sneak peek at Fortune’s Thief, book 1 of the Singing Blade Trilogy by Deedee Davies.
Fortune’s Thief Blurb:
When Tal Sarokan deserts from a mercenary band to look for a better life, little does he know that his departure will bring an end to his friends’ supernatural good fortune.
Al Salazar, the charismatic leader of the mercenaries, has stolen a stone from the Well of Fate and is using it to control his destiny, and that of his band, the Sarandani. When the mercenaries start dying, Al Salazar must somehow find Tal and convince him to return – by any means necessary. Meanwhile, the Keeper of the Well has set plans in motion to force Al Salazar to return the fate-stone through the subtle manipulation of his enemies. In time, Al Salazar learns that controlling one’s own destiny comes at a price, and that every man’s luck runs out in the end.
Fortune’s Thief Excerpt:
Tal wove his way nimbly between the ranks of the invaders, dodging fists and grabbing hands with precision and grace: the raiders might just as well have snatched at water. When he got to within ten feet of the tavern however, Tal was slammed aside so hard he went spiralling straight into the dirt. A split-second later, an axe head embedded itself in the floor right next to his face, spitting chunks of earth into the air. Tal executed a backwards roll with a turn at the finish that set him straight off in the direction of his workshop. As he swung around the doorpost, a dagger embedded itself into the wood just above his hand. Maybe they did mean to kill, after all. With a wrench that broke the lock and splintered the frame, Tal threw open the doors to his arms cupboard and reached for his sword.
He was still standing there, frozen in fear, when the shadows darkened the doorway behind him. His hand shook, but would move no closer to the weapon, as though it had met a barrier it could not pass. Splinters and wood shavings crunched underfoot. The intruders were approaching, leaving Tal with precious little time to resolve his personal dilemma or battle his inner demons. Spinning away from the alcove and slamming the door so hard the contents shook, he snatched at the nearest offensive object – a narrow-bladed chisel – and hurled it at the first intruder, who had raised his axe for the kill. The raider, with a look of utter surprise on his red-daubed features, went flipping over backwards with the chisel protruding from his neck.
Before his companion could react, Tal darted forwards and snatched up the raider’s discarded axe, instantly regretting it. The Vitoshan had been a good head and a half taller than him and about twice the build. Tal was built small and light, for speed and efficiency, and the axe would never be his weapon of choice. Still, needs must, thought the wiry young man and swung the axe at his opponent, using his whole body to give it momentum. It clashed against the solid defence of the other’s weapon, which was backed by a force of muscle and weight that Tal could not possibly have countered. As he sailed backwards over his workbench, clearing it by a good five inches, he made a promise to himself to get back into practice – if he survived the day.
Fortune’s Thief is not yet published, but you can find Deedee’s published short stories in several anthologies:
A Chimerical World: Tales of the Unseelie Court
Lee Dunning 