Hens Lay Eggs
food for thought
The Falcon of Imenotash #MFRWhooks
March Book of the Month
nThe Falcon of Imenotash
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nAridis: Concubine’s daughter, emperor’s sister, and the provincial queen of Imenotash n |
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5 Star – Review “If you love something, set it free…“
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nThe Falcon of Imenotash is a marvelously crafted and beautifully told ADULT fantasy that draws on the fables of Aesop, medieval European history, the legends of the Shaolin monks, paranormal (shifter) romance, and the fiery feminist fiction of the 1970’s. The ruler of Imenotash, Queen Aridis, hold her throne with the support of the Emperor. He hatches a nefarious plot to control her through a forced marriage, and she outwits him by marrying her Captain of the Guard. The war between evil emperor and independence-minded queen, now supported by her husband/consort Edan, escalates from sick and depraved to outright violence. Both Emperor, Queen, and Consort reveal hidden aspects to their identities and their goals, take bold risks, and carry the fight to its grim conclusion, with the fate of an empire and a marriage hanging in the balance. The story has the somewhat stereotypical characterizations common to fairy tales, which fits perfectly with its fantastical elements and medieval-esque setting, as well as with the stereotypical attitudes and behaviors of the powerful men who rule, and the peasants who live in fear of them. And, like the fables of old, it speaks powerful truth from the mouth of fiction. Totally entertaining and thought provoking. Thank you, Candid Book Reviews, for the ARC, and my review is (as always) voluntary, independent, and uncompensated.
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n#Books #Reviews #Authors #HenHousePublishing #HollyBargo #SpringfieldOHBookFairn
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Excerpt
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nChapter 1
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nFrom two steps behind and slightly off to the right, he watched his lady walk with stately grace and ignore the thinly veiled sneers of contempt, jealousy, avarice, and resentment from the provincial kings who sat in their imposing thrones that lined the great hall. Captain Edan Morrellen, captain of the palace guard and all military personnel of Imenotash, regarded his lady only with pride and loyalty. She’d done much good for the province, leading it back to productivity and prosperity after a generation of greedy, shortsighted, and careless rulers.
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nIt mattered not to him that a woman ruled. She’d proven herself more than capable. He served her with pride.
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nShe stopped a respectful distance from the gilded throne and bowed deeply, again showing the proper respect, and murmured, “Your Majesty. I have come as you bade me.”
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nGiroch, emperor of the Harudin Empire, stroked his bearded chin and nodded.
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n“Welcome, Aridis. It is good to see you again, sister.”
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nEdan’s queen nodded and replied in kind, “And it is a pleasure to see you again, your Majesty.”
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n“We shall speak privately later,” the emperor stated, not bothering to check whether Aridis had time in her busy schedule to accommodate him. He was the emperor; everyone always had time to accommodate him. He glanced at the captain of Aridis’ guard and added, “Do you feel an armed escort necessary within the walls of your old home, sister?”
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nHer expression remaining serenely impassive, the provincial queen simply replied, “It is law that no woman approach the emperor without male escort. Captain Edan accompanied me on the journey to the capital and is more than capable of serving as my escort here.”
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nThe emperor nodded his acceptance of the captain’s double duty and waved his hand in dismissal. Aridis bowed deeply again and retreated to the empty throne in the great hall, the throne assigned to her province. Maintaining a protective, yet still respectful, distance between himself and his lady, Edan escorted her down the long, marble-floored room. He discreetly pulled a clean handkerchief from a coat pocket and wiped the throne’s surface clean of whatever nasty substance one of her peers had spilled on it. Their resentment, envy, and greed spurred them to such petty, mean-spirited attacks and he despised them for it.
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n“Thank you, Captain,” she murmured as she shrugged off her cape and draped it over the seat to protect her gown. “Drop the handkerchief on the floor. A servant will clean it for you.”n
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Revving up for the 2020 Springfield Book Fair
Author registration for the 2020 Springfield Book Fair opened on March 1. Some things have changed and some remain the same.
Since last year’s experiment with holding two book fairs in a single year didn’t go well at all, we’re back down to just one event this year. Never say we don’t learn from our mistakes. The former dates for 2020 have been changed to a single date accommodating a single event: Saturday, June 13. The event will run from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. I don’t yet know the food truck scheduled for that day. Fingers are crossed that our new date doesn’t conflict with anything major that could significantly affect attendance.
The location remains the same: Mother Stewart’s Brewing Company. As before, authors will be required to park in the lot at West Columbia Avenue and Center Street, not in the parking lot in front of the brewery. They may, however, unload and load in the front parking lot.
Author registration includes one table and one chair. Authors may share their tables with other authors; all I ask is that they notify me so that I can set their tables up with extra chairs and to send me the names and contact information of the authors with whom they’re sharing their tables. No author may have more than one table.
Author registration also includes a drink ticket. Authors may redeem their tickets for beer or soft drinks. If you drink beer, I encourage you to sample Mother Stewart’s craft brews. The brewery may or may not have live music scheduled. I hope they will. If you know of a musical performer or band who’d like to set up and play in the tap room, send me their contact information. It won’t be a paid gig, but I’ll be happy to contribute some drink tickets to keep their throats wet.
Authors will be, again, distributed throughout the brewing room. As before, any backdrops must be freestanding. No one is permitted to affix anything to the vats. See the photo from last year’s summer book fair to see the space and how author tables are arranged. (More brewing vats are behind the tables on the left.) I really love this building: it’s so unique and interesting.
We will be expanding our marketing efforts through the service of Personalized Marketing Inc. This is a paid service and fees for it will be covered by event registration fees, as well the cost of paid advertisements. (Costs for promotion of past events were paid from my pocket.) Essentially, the event must cover its expenses or it cannot continue. Personalized Marketing Inc., by the way, specializes in social media marketing for authors. If you’re looking to offload your marketing, I highly recommend them.
The increased costs described above are reflected in this year’s increased registration fee of $75. The higher fee still puts author registration for this event at the low end of similar events’ registration fees, keeping author participation affordable. Participating authors are still asked to assist with marketing by sharing event announcements and materials across their social media networks. Authors must help attract attendees.
As always, all genres are welcome. Registration is limited and will close when all tickets are sold or on May 31, whichever happens first.
Next up, a trip to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida for a weekend immersion in “Harry Potter World.” This is going to be fun!
Sleep well, Ursula #MFRWhooks
Triple Burn By Holly Bargo
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nA lengthy and increasingly unnerving interview lands Ursula a job as the event planner at a foreign embassy. Not until the government hustles her off to a different planet does she realize just how foreign that embassy is. When the U.S. ambassador hands over one of her coworkers during her first event as collateral to seal a trade agreement, Ursula breaks out of the embassy, determined to find a way back home before she, too, can be used as a bargaining chip in this world desperate for females. n |
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Excerpt
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n“She looks tiny, almost like a child,” Bran commented, his voice pitched to a nearly inaudible volume.
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n“She doesn’t smell like a child,” Crow replied after drawing in a deep breath. He reached a clawed hand toward her. “I want to see her.”
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nBran’s golden hand wrapped around his forearm and restrained him. “No. We proceed with caution.”
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n“She’s not going to harm us. Look at her. Her claws and teeth are blunted. Her body is soft. She cannot harm us.”
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n“But she could harm herself in her fear of us,” Gil admonished with a glare at their overeager Bridge. “Consider the risk she took in leaving the human embassy.”
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n“That was courage,” Crow argued.
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n“Inspired by fear,” Bran said. He rubbed a fingertip over one temple. “I feel her worry, her fright.”
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n“You feel her already?” Crow gaped.
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n“Aye. Our bond will be strong, so very strong. But not now, not yet. She will need time and persuasion.”
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n“Persuasion, not compulsion,” Gil said, biting off every syllable and directing a pointed glare at the berserker.
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nCrow lifted his lip, baring pointed teeth as he yanked his arm free of Bran’s hold. His brothers-in-arms could feel his need beating at him, the heavy urge to mate and impress upon her his possession of her. It was eating him alive.
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n“She will doubtlessly desire your strength and vitality, but not yet, Crow. Bide. Control yourself and bide until the time is right.”
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n“And who will determine that?” he snarled.
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nBran’s golden eyes met the red-scaled Urib’s black eyes and held steady beneath the burning ire and impatience. None could withstand Crow’s rage, except Bran and Gil, and none as well as Bran. The golden Urib warrior wasn’t Prime of the Fangrys Triad for nothing. With a low growl of dissent, Crow subsided and lowered his eyes, submitting to his Prime’s will. Bran did not move while Gil removed their mate’s odd footwear. The shoes looked absurdly small in his big hands. After setting the shoes aside, he found a blanket and drew it over her.
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n“Sleep well, Ursula,” he murmured over her, running the back of his knuckle lightly over her cheek.
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Author
Hard boiled, scrambled, over easy, and sunny side up: eggs are the musings of Holly Bargo, the pseudonym for the author.
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Karen (Holly)
Blog Swaps
Looking for a place to swap blogs? Holly Bargo at Hen House Publishing is happy to reciprocate Blog Swaps in 2019.
For more information: