{"id":610,"date":"2013-05-10T08:27:51","date_gmt":"2013-05-10T16:27:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.romanticgeekgirl.com\/dani\/?p=610"},"modified":"2013-08-06T07:00:16","modified_gmt":"2013-08-06T15:00:16","slug":"sneak-peek-and-first-read-stone-guardian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.romanticgeekgirl.com\/dani\/?p=610","title":{"rendered":"Sneak Peek and First Read – Stone Guardian"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"StoneGuardian800\"<\/a>As you may have heard a time or two by now, my FIRST novel-length story is coming out in July. This world and these characters have been living with me for the past couple years, so that I now have the opportunity to share them makes me grin ear to ear.<\/p>\n

Stone Guardian<\/a><\/strong> is the first book of the Entwined Realms<\/strong><\/em> series. The series is set in an alternate world – this world looks just like our everyday world, but magic and magical creatures are real and co-exist. So you can be on your way to work and see an elf riding the subway car with you. You can look out the window of your building and see a gryphon flying by. Magic is regulated but that won’t necessarily stop a couple mages from fighting over the last mocha available at the local coffeeshop.<\/p>\n

And of course, there are bad guys. Necromancers bide their time and wait until they can unleash their master plan…<\/p>\n

Because I’m about as impatient as a person can be, I’m offering a sneak peak of my story. Unedited – we’re in the middle of edits now, so this will probably be tweaked a touch when in its final form.<\/p>\n

I debated what to put up. In the end, I decided to give you the introduction to two of my favorite characters, Fallon and Laire. They are so much fun and tickle me no end. Plus, you’ll get a\u00a0touch better explanation about this world.<\/p>\n

Without further ado, I present – Stone Guardian<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*** The whoosh<\/i> of students running past her in the hallways, the slamming of lockers, the girls talking about their hair and clothes and make-up and the boys talking about the girls \u2013 all welcome signs of normalcy to Larissa as she made her way to her first class of the morning.<\/p>\n

The bell rang moments before she entered the door. \u201cOK everyone, that was the bell. Settle down and take your seats,\u201d Larissa said as she headed towards her desk, placing her bag on the chair and taking out graded papers and lesson plans.<\/p>\n

Juvenile grumbling, paper rustling, and feet shuffling met Larissa\u2019s words in first period History. The mood was not a shiny happy one.<\/p>\n

Ah yes, what senior in high school didn\u2019t just love being up this early, especially on a Monday morning with only a few weeks until vacation. It was about time to petition for hazard pay.<\/p>\n

Larissa handed out papers and accepted homework, answered some questions and shushed Jason Evans after he let out a wolf whistle when she passed. All in all, a normal Monday, making the events of this weekend seem even more surreal.<\/p>\n

Necromancers after her? No, no.<\/p>\n

A gargoyle protector? What an insane notion.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow,\u201d said Larissa, coming to stand in front of the room. \u201cWe are going to get into a favorite topic for most.\u00a0 We are going to discuss the Great Collision.\u201d<\/p>\n

As expected, a hush fell over the room. No student could keep up the fa\u00e7ade of indifference when the topic of the Great Collision came up, reason numero uno<\/i> she always saved it for Mondays. \u201cSo, twenty-six years ago, probably the most momentous moment in history outside of the actual creation of life occurred.\u00a0 I\u2019ll let your science teachers explain the theories behind why it happened, parallel dimensions and quarks and neutrons and all that good stuff.\u00a0 That\u2019s not for my discussion here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou trying to tell us you weren\u2019t a science genius, Miss Miller?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ah, Jason Evans, star quarterback and all around smart-ass. Class would not be the same if he didn\u2019t inject his too cool for school<\/i> attitude into her lectures at least once a day. \u201cScience is wonderful, Mr. Evans.\u00a0 I do admit though, I never had quite the head for it.\u00a0 That doesn\u2019t mean you shouldn\u2019t ask Mr. Patel to go into details for you. Anyway, the Great Collision.\u00a0 In layman\u2019s terms\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDummy terms!\u201d Jason interjected.<\/p>\n

\u201cLayman\u2019s terms,\u201d Larissa continued on, not bothering to waste breath to engage him. \u201cOur universe is comprised of multiple dimensions. How many is still a question the scientific community is grappling with, but that has no bearing here. What matters for our discussion is two of these dimensions collided. One dimension was very similar to what you see around you every day \u2013 skyscrapers, cars, computers \u2013 but in this dimension humans were the only sentient race and no magic existed. I\u2019m sure many of your parents have already told you stories about the good old days.\u201d<\/p>\n

Groans sounded then, followed by tales of parental misconduct. Larissa let it go for a few moments before bringing attention back to her. \u201cThe other realm was a realm of sword and sorcery. Elves and dwarves existed here, as well as countless other races and magical creatures. For simplicity, we have come to label these dimensions the Human Realm and the Magic Realm, though humans did exist in the Magic Realm. They just weren\u2019t the only sentient race.\u201d<\/p>\n

A hand rose at the back of the class. \u201cMiss Miller, my mom told me we used to use oil and electricity for power, not magic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Larissa nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThat is true. You see, what seems to have happened at the Great Collision is the Human Realm absorbed the Magic Realm. That\u2019s why Earth looks much like it did before, but now it is infused with magic. I\u2019m sure those old folks of thirty-five and above can give you a huge list of all the small changes between then and now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Earth wasn\u2019t altogether unchanged,\u201d a female voice interrupted. Taneasha Jackson reminded Larissa of herself at a younger age, too smart by half and surrounded by family who protected her to the point of suffocation. The young woman was more likely to be found in a library than at any of the school events.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it wasn\u2019t,\u201d said Larissa. \u201cThere is a section of Earth that was changed. This is caused by Necromantic magic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre we going to talk about Necromancers?\u201d asked Jason with a little too much enthusiasm.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot as much as you probably want,\u201d Larissa said. Not at all, if she had a choice. An eye hanging out of its socket<\/i>, and she rubbed the heel of her palm against her forehead as if the motion could erase the image. \u201cBut yes, when we get into talking about the different classifications of magic, such as transmutation, illusion, conjuration…\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNecromancy,\u201d added Jason.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are beginning to worry me, Jason,\u201d she said to the young man, who looked unrepentant. \u201cWhy are you not supposed to be so excited over Necromancers?\u201d<\/p>\n

In the tone of someone who is humoring you and wants you to know it, Jason said, \u201cThey derive their power from death.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly,\u201d said Larissa.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut all the girls love vampires, and I\u2019d look hot with red eyes,\u201d Jason said, causing some girls to giggle and smile in his direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, well, while all Vampires are Necromancers, not every Necromancer is a Vampire. Only the strongest of Necromancers become true Vampires.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jason leaned back in his seat, a satisfied smirk over his mouth. \u201cGives me something to work for, then I\u2019d have an eternity with the ladies.\u201d The guys all started high-fiving amongst themselves, and Larissa shushed them before the words got too far out of hand.<\/p>\n

Taneasha spoke again.\u00a0 \u201cI want to learn more about the fantastical creatures that we thought were just myths until they appeared after the Collision. I really want to see a unicorn one day.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was almost scary how the young woman echoed her own younger years. \u201cI was always fascinated by the new races and creatures myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEver see any, Miss Miller,\u201d said a voice from the back.<\/p>\n

Not until three days ago.<\/i> \u201cNo, I\u2019ve lived in the city all my life and never traveled outside of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another male voice from the back said, \u201cUnicorns are too girly. I want to see gryphons, basilisks, dragons, like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

And from the doorway came the response, the voice a smooth feminine growl. \u201cThere are no dragons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Larissa hadn\u2019t heard the door open and turned to question why someone was interrupting her class.<\/p>\n

The textbook Larissa was holding slipped from nerveless fingers, causing a sharp crack as the second silence of the morning fell over the classroom.<\/p>\n

In the open doorway stood the redheaded woman from Friday night, her gaze locked on Larissa as she leaned against the frame, her arms and legs crossed in what would have been a relaxed posture for anyone else, but on this woman it seemed more akin to leashed watchfulness.<\/p>\n

The woman continued, \u201cDragons were as much a myth on the Magic Realm as in ours, disappointing as that seems.\u201d She smiled then, the barest trace of a dimple in her grin. \u201cOr maybe not. Having a dragon fly overhead would not be my idea of a good time.\u201d<\/p>\n

She was the very definition of an Amazon \u2013 taller than some men with broad shoulders and long limbs displaying muscle, but her evident strength only highlighted how very feminine she was. She had classic features most women would kill for and hourglass curves her musculature enhanced.<\/p>\n

A higher-pitched feminine grunt came from behind the redhead, and the redhead\u2019s body shifted as she glanced behind her. \u201cMove your ass, Fallon. I want to see her. I missed all the excitement, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you quit poking me, I will,\u201d the redheaded woman said to whoever was back there, and took several steps into the room.<\/p>\n

Larissa\u2019s mouth gaped as she beheld the person coming in behind the amazon.<\/p>\n

This woman was short. Very short. So short even the platform heels on her shoes only brought her to average height.\u00a0 She was wearing an elaborate jade green kimono \u2013 except unlike a traditional kimono the skirt ended mid-thigh \u2013 with matching jade hair styled in three rolls and piled so high it added an extra half-foot of height to the woman.<\/p>\n

It was hard to tell what age or ethnicity the woman was under her dramatic kabuki make-up.\u00a0 Best guess, early-to-mid-twenties, and Japanese but mixed with some European ancestry.<\/p>\n

The unnatural quiet the class had been under broke. With one voice, her students started calling out questions \u2013 about the women, what they were doing here, why did they want to talk to Miss Miller?<\/p>\n

\u201cQuiet,\u201d the woman called Fallon said, her voice level but her tone absolute, and in a situation Larissa had never before experienced her class shut up as they were told. \u201cMiss Miller, I have some questions for you. Please step outside with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The small Japanese woman hopped onto Larissa\u2019s desk, crossing her legs once she was seated.\u00a0 \u201cIt might have sounded like a request, but it really wasn\u2019t.\u201d She flicked her fingers at Larissa in a dismissive gesture. \u201cYou need to go. I\u2019ll stay with the kiddies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sure enough, the redhead didn\u2019t look like she was moving, and Larissa didn\u2019t want to have this conversation in front of her students. Stifling a sigh, she said, \u201cClass, talk quietly amongst yourselves for a few minutes.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be right back.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was an empty classroom a few rooms down. Larissa went in, not bothering with politeness to allow the woman to enter first. The redhead followed, though not before her eyes scanned the room. Classic tactical maneuver. No cop in the world ever entered anywhere before getting the lay of the land.<\/p>\n

The woman didn\u2019t crowd her, but her unwavering gaze and unvoiced suspicions made breathing a tad difficult, like wearing a shirt with a constrictive collar. It was so different than what she felt that night with the gargoyle, where towards the end of the night their interactions edged into the companionable.<\/p>\n

Larissa cleared her throat, ready to start this inquisition. \u201cThis is private property. You are not permitted to come into my school and disrupt my teaching of my students.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t just walk in. I asked the Superintendent for permission.\u201d<\/p>\n

School politics being what they were, the Superintendent clearing the way for this woman meant she had some power backing her. \u201cDid you inform him of what happened that night?\u201d Though there would be no reason for the Superintendent to believe the redhead even if she did. Larissa had come home to find not a single trace of the battle, and no mention of it made the news the next day.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was no reason to. I simply said I needed to speak with you. He didn\u2019t need the details.\u201d<\/p>\n

Larissa sat down. No sense on getting a crick in her neck looking up at the woman. \u201cHow did you know where to find me, or who I am? Who are you, for that matter?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe? I\u2019m Fallon, and the monochrome midget currently alone with your students is Laire. We\u2019re part of a special group that protects the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

Larissa crossed her arms in front of her chest. \u201cIf you\u2019re part of a group that protects the city, then why didn\u2019t I know you existed before today?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe like to keep our specialness under wraps. Not everyone tends to appreciate how wonderful us special people are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean the type of specialness that has a man appearing out of shadows from a solid wall?\u201d<\/p>\n

Fallon nodded. \u201cHe is a prime example.\u201d<\/p>\n

Terak hadn\u2019t mentioned anything about them being protectors of the city, but as he was tight-lipped about them in general that was not surprising. However, Dad had never told her about any such group. So if this woman was telling the truth, that either meant Dad had kept this from her \u2013 and given his standard modus operandi<\/i> that wouldn\u2019t be a shock \u2013 or this group was very, very secret.<\/p>\n

And if a very, very secret group told you about their existence\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cOh gods, you\u2019re going to kidnap me right now, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

The corner of Fallon\u2019s lip quirked at Larissa\u2019s outburst, that shadow of a dimple again displayed. \u201cYour students just saw you walk out of a room with me. It would be kind of stupid for me to grab you and run.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could make them forget. Who knows what kind of magic you can perform.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t do magic. I turn your attention back to Friday night and the big-ass sword I was carrying around. My job is to run and swing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Larissa\u2019s head was heavy on her shoulders. Laying it on the desk and closing her eyes until the woman disappeared would be heaven. Unfortunately, there was no chance Fallon would cooperate. \u201cWhat do you want from me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Fallon walked over and crouched in front of her, bringing them to eye level. \u201cWhat happened Friday?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know. You tell me. You were there so you obviously knew what was going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Annoyance reflected itself in Fallon\u2019s features. \u201cYou would think I should have been told the reason I was there, but no, the person who sent me doesn\u2019t believe in giving anyone details. They think it\u2019s enough to just send you on your way.\u201d By the end of the sentence Fallon\u2019s head was moving in rhythm to her words, emphasizing the dislike in her tone.<\/p>\n

Not anxious to step on this particular minefield, Larissa still had to ask. \u201cWhat about afterwards? Couldn\u2019t you get any information from the zombies?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. No information from that path.\u201d Fallon\u2019s tone was a stop sign, telling Larissa no questions asked down that path would be answered.<\/p>\n

Larissa swiveled in the chair and stood, needing space. \u201cI don\u2019t know why the zombies were there. I wasn\u2019t even supposed to go out that night. It was a spur of the moment decision to join my dad\u2019s poker game. I think it was a coincidence, nothing more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fallon stood as well, and Larissa conceded that Fallon rising to her full height was a much more impressive scene than she could ever pull off. \u201cWhat about the gargoyle?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about him?\u201d Good, no cracks in her vocals. Learning to deflect her father\u2019s questions was paying off in unexpected ways.<\/p>\n

Fallon\u2019s eyebrow arched at that. \u201cHe flew away with you. You were gone for a considerable length of time. Are you telling me that happens to you every day?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course not. I don\u2019t know why he was there either. He flew me away, and I guess when he decided it was safe, he brought me back?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat simple?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, at the time it wasn\u2019t! At the time I was scared to death. Actually, I\u2019m still sleeping with my lights on. But I don\u2019t know what to tell you when I have no clue why what happened on Friday night\u2026 happened. I swear, I think it was completely a random event. Zombies attacked, you appeared, the gargoyle appeared. The more time that passes, the more it becomes a blur in my head, which is good, because I want to forget it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Fallon stared at her like she was a bug under a microscope. Breathing as she did in her yoga class, Larissa quieted her mind, quieted her body. She would not give away anything to his woman. No matter what assurances Fallon gave, the little warning bell in the back of her skull was still sounding an alert.<\/p>\n

Fallon\u2019s body relaxed, the signal to Larissa that she won this round. At least she wouldn\u2019t be kidnapped right now, but Larissa didn\u2019t need the narrowing of Fallon\u2019s eyes to tell her that the amazon was not yet finished with her. \u201cBy all means, you know nothing and the gargoyle flew you around for a couple hours before taking you home. Why, it almost sounds romantic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to get back to my class now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, who am I to deprive those poor children of their education?\u00a0 Then again, Laire is probably educating them beyond their wildest dreams.\u201d\u00a0 Fallon went to the door and opened it, then turned and motioned for Larissa to precede her out.<\/p>\n

As Larissa entered her classroom again, she saw her students scribbling furious notes, their expressions sharpened as they seldom were for any of her lectures.<\/p>\n

Then she heard the Japanese woman speak.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I do realize men who have an Orc ancestor tend to be really ugly, but that\u2019s why they invented paper bags.\u00a0 Trust me, as long as a guy knows he\u2019s getting some, he\u2019ll wear a pink bunny costume if that\u2019s what\u2019s needed to seal the deal.\u00a0 What matters here and what you need to remember is guys that have some Orc in them are hung like nobody\u2019s business.\u00a0 If you like your men large and dominating, make a beeline for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about elves?\u201d called a male student.<\/p>\n

\u201cElves are ridiculously high maintenance.\u00a0 If that\u2019s fine with you, the key for elves is the ears and the back.\u00a0 Sure, they like the other areas just fine, but you want to make one a little puddle of goo, spend ten minutes massaging their back.\u00a0 It\u2019s practically a sure thing after that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you telling my students?\u201d\u00a0 While Larissa\u2019s squeaky tone may not have been what one would call commanding, it did stop the small woman from talking.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just answering questions. They are woefully unprepared to enter the real world,\u201d Laire said, turning back to a student in the front with her hand up.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s enough question and answer. Let\u2019s go,\u201d said Fallon, a quick movement of her head signaling the other woman to get off the desk.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Fallon, they need educated.\u00a0 You wouldn\u2019t believe the misconceptions they had about how to have sex with a shifter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fallon walked over to the desk and grabbed the woman\u2019s ear, walking towards the door without waiting to see if Laire was on her feet yet. \u201cOw, Fallon, ow! Let go, I\u2019m coming, I\u2019m coming!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGoodbye, Miss Miller,\u201d Fallon said.\u00a0 Larissa didn\u2019t have to be a mind reader to see the for now<\/i> Fallon mentally added onto the end of that sentence.<\/p>\n

Fallon walked towards the door, pulling the small woman behind her.\u00a0 \u201cI knew I should have brought Aislynn,\u201d Fallon said as they left the classroom.<\/p>\n

Laire\u2019s snort was loud and clear though her voice was fading, their steps indicating they were walking away from the classroom.\u00a0 \u201cGood idea to bring an elf amongst hormonal high school seniors.\u00a0 Do you really think Ais wants to be the jerk-off fantasy of the graduating class\u2026 OWWWWWWWWW!\u201d***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Like what you read? Make sure to add it to your Goodreads<\/a> to-be read list!\u00a0 Release date July 15!!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As you may have heard a time or two by now, my FIRST novel-length story is coming out in July. This world and these characters have been living with me for the past couple years, so that I now have the opportunity to share them makes me grin ear to ear. Stone Guardian is the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[164,146,158,157,159,162,161,81,160,163],"class_list":["post-610","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-releases","tag-a-new-kind-of-teaching-style","tag-entwined-realms","tag-fallon","tag-laire","tag-larissa-miller","tag-mage","tag-sorcery","tag-stone-guardian","tag-sword","tag-wizard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.romanticgeekgirl.com\/dani\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.romanticgeekgirl.com\/dani\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.romanticgeekgirl.com\/dani\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.romanticgeekgirl.com\/dani\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.romanticgeekgirl.com\/dani\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=610"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.romanticgeekgirl.com\/dani\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":627,"href":"https:\/\/www.romanticgeekgirl.com\/dani\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610\/revisions\/627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.romanticgeekgirl.com\/dani\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=610"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.romanticgeekgirl.com\/dani\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=610"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.romanticgeekgirl.com\/dani\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=610"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}