Happy Teaser Tuesday Everyone!! And boy oh boy is it a big one today, after all I’m celebrating!! The Facebook page hit 500 likes, the twitter page over 300 followers. It may seem like small potatoes but I am full on dancing in my shoes over here! Woo Hoo! So to say thanks, and welcome all my new followers I am giving you a nice big snippet from Eyes of Ember, this one from chapter eight, and the LAST one until release week – April 6th can’t come quick enough!! Oh! And please be mindful – this snippet is still in its un-edited ARC form, so minor issues will still be present.
“So,” I began, desperate to end the silence and break the intense gaze of whatever Ilyan was staring at. “If you believe that your kind came from the mud, do you believe in God too?”
“Not particularly,” he chuckled, turning to me and coming back to himself.
“If you do not believe in a God, then why do you spend so much time in churches?”
“Because of how humans act when their souls are so close to God. They care for one another beyond which they would normally, the help and support and love one another. It’s amazing to watch, to witness.”
“You must think me an uncaring, hateful person then.” I shifted my weight, wishing I could remove my hand from his. He must have sensed my discomfort; the heat from his hand around mine increased.
“Not in the least. You are one of the most caring, brave people I have met in quite some time. You willingly risk everything to save Ryland, handle the ultimate losses with grace and…”
I snorted and Ilyan stopped to look at me, his forehead furled in confusion.
“I wasn’t graceful, Ilyan. I refused to move and then practically let me body kill me.”
“But you didn’t.” Ilyan whispered.
“Because you’re stubborn,” I said, shoving our entwined hands into his chest. Ilyan only smiled, I glowed assuming I had won.
“Not as stubborn as you.” My mouth dropped, odd clicking noises coming from my throat. Ilyan chuckled deeply, the happy sound ricocheting to the people around us. Several people looked toward us, smiling at the exchange. I could only guess what was on their mind. Young love, newly married, and it only got worse from there. I instinctively sunk into my sweater, pulling the hood up around my face. Ilyan’s chuckle stopped but his smile remained.
“When are you going to stop hiding?”
“As soon as people stop looking at me,” I said, affronted. Ilyan raised an eyebrow at me and I crinkled my noise at him in frustration.
“I don’t see that happening any time soon, Silnỳ.”
“Then don’t count on me coming out of hiding anytime soon,” I spat, grumbling a bit.
“And you say you are not stubborn.” Ilyan smiled, his eyes shining and I automatically shied away from him. My reaction only increased his smile, causing me to fume a bit more. Ilyan dropped my hand then, his warm magic and his shield leaving my body almost instantly. The loss of contact left me unprotected in the middle of an empty city. Now it wasn’t a question of if Ryland would find me, but how fast. Suddenly I felt very unprepared to be attacked, and unsure if I could come out of a fight still standing.
My heart seized in panic, my eyes instantly moving to dart around the street, as if Ryland was just going to step out from behind a garbage can. My panicked edge seeped away when Ilyan placed his hands on either side of my face, forcing me to look back at him.
“Calm down, Joclyn.”
“What if they find me, Ilyan?” I said, struggling to keep the panic out of my voice.
“Then they find you, you are strong enough to fight them now.” Ilyan moved his hands from my face to slowly move the hood down from around me, my hair releasing to fall down my back. “And then we will know if they can track you and how fast.”
I cringed, being unshielded made me uncomfortable. I didn’t like being so exposed, especially since I wasn’t sure what would happen if they did find me, or even if they could, having that knowledge didn’t seem like something desirable to me.
“I need to know, so that I can keep you safe. And, if they do, I will be here to protect you.”
“My protector?” I said.
“Yes,” he spoke softly, his hands trailing around my neck to rest on my shoulders. “Now, let’s go get some dinner.”
It all started with a birthday present: a little book I wrote for my grandfather, helped along by a little bit of performing experience and a whole lot of love. It has since evolved. Get to know the woman behind the words. 
