Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Muddled Misery

wewriwa

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where a fun and diverse group of writers share excerpts in ten sentences or less from their published works or works-in-progress.  I’ve been sharing from my new release, Gryffon Hall, an m/m fantasy inspired by Beauty and The Beast.  In this scene, Wryler’s father informs him that he’s been betrothed to the notorious Lord Aeric Rouchet.  Last week, Wryler found out that he’s to leave for Gryffon Hall three days hence.  His father, who is entirely unsympathetic to Wrylers’ misgivings, is the speaker:

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“Cheer up, Wryler. I don’t want my last image of you to be the one of muddled misery I see before me now. When you give me that baleful look, I can’t help but think of your mother.” He sighed, momentarily woeful, then rallied, slapping his hands together. “Let’s go, Cook, we’ve still got a house full of guests with aching heads–all ripe for a little lucrative conversation.”

With that, the two intruders departed, slamming the door behind them. Wryler stood motionless, listening to their fading boot stomps and the grating buzz of Amster’s snores.

Sent away into the wilderness, alone, to live out his days with a stranger. A barbarous stranger who battled monsters for a living. For most of Wryler’s life, Gryffon Hall had been held up as an example of power gone awry—a once great seat of power brought down by greed and black magic.

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AD_GryffonHall

Fated to be born the useless fourth son of the Lord of Glimmerveen, Wryler dreams of getting married and escaping the rustic confines of his father’s castle. A wealthy merchant’s son seems to hold the key to Wryler’s safe if somewhat dreary future. However, the arrival of a mysterious stranger on the eve of Wryler’s betrothal sends his plans into disarray and Wryler finds himself traded off in marriage to one of the most notorious rogues in the land.

Is Lord Aeric Rouchet the scoundrel he appears to be, or is he something much worse? Separated from his family and thrust into a strange and dangerous new life at the foreboding Gryffon Hall, Wryler must unravel the secret of his husband’s shadowed life and defeat the curse which threatens not only his growing affection for the barbarian in his bed, but the lives of everyone the Lord of Gryffon Hall is sworn to protect.

Check out the great review on Diverse Reader.

Buy on Amazon 

ARe

Loose Id

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This post is part of an ongoing blog hop hosted by Weekend Writing Warriors. Every Sunday, participating authors post eight to ten sentences from a published work or perhaps their current work in progress. Then we hop to our fellow warriors’ blogs and check out all the fabulous fiction that’s happening! I heartily invite you to participate as a reader, writer, or both. It’s a great way to discover your next favorite book. Click here or use the address: http://www.wewriwa.com

15 thoughts on “Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Muddled Misery

  1. Oh my, that last paragraph makes it very understandable why Wryler is depressed and hurt by this new arrangement. He has a long way to come back, but I am sure that love can do it. 🙂

    Wonderful writing, Alexis. The story’s voice is perfection. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Pingback: Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Not Even a Life | Alexis Duran

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