Weekend Writing Warriors ~ A Warning Bell

July 17, 2016 by Alexis Duran

Greetings Readers, Writers and Random Internet Wanderers! It’s time for another installment of Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where a bunch of really awesome writers share their work in ten sentences or less. This week I’m wrapping up the scene I’ve been sharing from my upcoming m/m fantasy romance, Gryffon Hall. Last week, Wryler rashly gave in to the impulse to make his betrothed-to-be, Lennox Arsbury, jealous by giving all his attention to Lord Rouchet. This might not have been the smartest thing Wryler has ever done.

***

Wryler could pretend that Rouchet had just flirted with him—he’d never been any good at such things himself.

“Do you live alone in that vast place?” he asked.

“My cousins are only visiting over the winter, so yes, I am mostly alone, a situation I seek to remedy.” Rouchet leaned so close his breath tickled Wryler’s ear and whispered, “It is not only stags and beasts I hunt.”

Wryler shivered as a warning bell clanged somewhere in the back of his mind, but he was too wine-sodden to make much sense of it. He lifted his glass.

“I wish you luck in your quest, Lord Rouchet.”

They clinked glasses and drank, Rouchet grinning in a way that had Wryler thinking of predatory cats who roamed the night. He sneaked another glance at Lennox, who was now red-faced and fuming. Wryler couldn’t have been more pleased.

***

Gryffon Hall ~ Release date August 30, 2016

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 barbarian 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.

***

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

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Monsters and Shadows

July 10, 2016 by Alexis Duran

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where a bunch of really awesome writer share excerpts from their work in ten sentences or less. Hi everybody! I fell off the edge of the earth for a couple weeks into the maw of family, holiday and too much work, but I’m back and it feels good. I’m picking up from where I left off in Gryffon Hall, my soon-to-be-released m/m fantasy inspired by the tale of Beauty and the Beast.

In the last snippet I shared, Lord Rouchet revealed that he spends his free time battling beasts and generally keeping the world of man free from the intrusions of these troublesome creatures. FYI, Lennox is Wryler’s betrothed-to-be, and he’s been flirting with someone else at the state dinner they’re all attending, while Wryler has been forced to make conversation with the mysterious Lord Rouchet. Rouchet speaks first:

***

“Gryffon Hall is at the crossroads of nothing; it is a terminus, a bastion against the dark mysteries of the past.” Rouchet took another large swallow of wine. “But I don’t mean to frighten you or make you think it’s all monsters and shadows where I live. There is much a man can do to brighten his days and warm his nights.” He looked directly into Wryler’s eyes and lifted an eyebrow. A strange tingle traveled from Wryler’s scalp to his toes. Something about the words ‘warm’ and ‘night’ and the way Rouchet looked at him, calmly confident, assessing Wryler with more than friendly interest, or so it appeared, quickened his pulse.

But you’re drunk. He glanced over his shoulder at Lennox, who stared and scowled at them. Good, serves him right.

***

Gryffon Hall ~ coming in Summer 2016!

***

Schloss Meersburg

***

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Battling Beasts

June 19, 2016 by Alexis Duran

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors and another Sunday of fun, exciting, sexy, hilarious and/or all of the above fiction! Just click the link to find a list of authors sharing their best stuff for your enjoyment.

I’m sharing from my soon-to-be-released m/m fantasy, Gryffon Hall, inspired by the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast and of course, properly twisted in my demented imagination. In this scene, Wryler finds himself sitting next to the mysterious Lord Rouchet at a state dinner and trying to make conversation. The man Wryler expects to be betrothed to, Lennox Asburry, is seating at another table across the hall and has been flirting with someone else the entire evening.

***

The guest seated to Rouchet’s right laughed loudly and he turned to face them. Wryler’s cheeks continued to blaze as he realized he’d bored Rouchet silly in their brief exchange.

He gulped more wine and feeling eyes upon him, glanced down the table to his left. Lennox was leering at him, and seeing that he had Wryler’s attention, winked. Wryler stiffened and turned back to Rouchet, who was smiling at something the more engaging person to his right had said.

“What about you, Lord Rouchet, what do you do for entertainment?” Wryler asked loudly. He absolutely must recapture the lord’s gaze, if only long enough to prove to Lennox Wryler wasn’t simply pining away for his flirting glances.

Rouchet carefully wiped the grease from his fingers with a linen cloth before answering. “As you surely know, Gryffon Hall is too remote to allow for much in the way of parties or feasts such as this. When not battling the beasts who stray out of their ordained territory, my cousins and I hunt, explore the forest and keep the roads clear of bandits.”

***

Gryffon Hall ~ coming in Summer 2016!

***

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ A Remote and Unlikely Location

June 12, 2016 by Alexis Duran

Welcome to another exciting episode of Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share in ten lines or less a scene from their work. I’m continuing to share from my soon-to-be-released m/m fantasy, Gryffon Hall. Wyler is seated next to the mysterious and somewhat barbaric Lord Rouchet at a state dinner. He’s discovered Rouchet owns a vast library, Wryler’s idea of heaven.

***

“I’d like to see this library someday,” Wryler said and immediately regretted it. Such an admission might lead to an invitation that would be awkward to decline. He couldn’t for the life of him imagine traveling to the edge of the civilized world to the gloomy and haunted Gryffon Hall, looming as it did at the edge of the monster-infested Black Forest. How odd that a wondrous collection of books sat hidden in such a remote and unlikely location.

“Perhaps you will,” Rouchet said, and swilled his wine. “So what else do you do besides read?”

“Well, I’m currently attempting to find a cure for the Trembles, otherwise known as Chillbanes. I’ve discovered a connection between—”

“I mean, what do you do for entertainment?”

“You may not think so, but study and deep thought are entertaining,” Wryler said, then felt his cheeks heat as he heard his words and suspected they might be construed as insulting, as if the lord didn’t partake in deep thought himself.

***

Gryffon Hall ~ coming in Summer 2016!

burg-meersburg-meersburg-germany-joseph-hendrix

Meersburg in Germany- appropriately forbidding but the sky is too blue.

***

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Unlocked Treasure

June 5, 2016 by Alexis Duran

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors and another round of fun, exciting, scary, sexy, mysterious and otherwise entertaining snippets as writers share in ten lines or less scenes from their novels, stories and musings. I’m continuing to share from my m/m fairy tale, Gryffon Hall, inspired by Beauty and the Beast. In this scene Wryler is sitting next to the mysterious Lord Rouchet at a state dinner. Last week, Rouchet revealed that he owns a vast library, the shelves filled with volumes taken as plunder.

***

“No one knows what all is there. My librarian works day and night to catalogue the damn things, but he hasn’t gotten very far.”

“Sounds fascinating,” Wryler said. His mind’s eye filled with the image of a vast, unlocked treasure trove of knowledge—rows upon rows of leather bound volumes. Who knew what lost wisdom sat untouched?

“I’ve attempted to read a few, but they tend toward historic and scientific twaddle and are as dull as the night is long,” Rouchet continued. “I prefer a rousing adventure myself.”

Wryler attempted to picture Rouchet sitting in an armchair with a book in his lap, contentedly reading by candlelight, but became stalled upon the idea of the lord in a silk dressing gown, partially open to reveal what must be a finely sculpted chest.

Wryler blinked rapidly and turned to face the room. He must have had too much to drink.

***

Gryffon Hall ~ coming in Summer 2016!

***

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Plunder

May 29, 2016 by Alexis Duran

Greetings and welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors. I hope you’re having a safe and serene Memorial Day Weekend (if serene is what you’re in to). My idea of a good time is a “free” day in which I can stay in my PJs and slippers all day and write, write, write without having to watch the clock. So you know where I’ll be come Monday.

This week I’m continuing to share from my m/m fairy tale, Gryffon Hall, inspired by Beauty and the Beast. I’ve skipped ahead a bit from last time. Despite his sensible fear of the barbarian from the hinterlands, Wryler finds himself being drawn into conversation with the infamous Lord Rouchet.

***

“I heard you like books,” Rouchet said, evidently determined to make conversation.

“I do enjoy reading, yes. My specialties are alchemy, astrology and herbal medicine.” Wryler forced himself to meet Rouchet’s gaze. The Lord didn’t look like someone who read much, if at all. Too busy smiting enemies with a broad sword and hunting stags with bow and arrow.

“I have a huge number of books at Gryffon Hall,” Rouchet said, not in a boastful way but as if he revealed a great burden.

“So you are a scholar?” Wryler asked, surprised.

Rouchet chuckled, shook his head and said, “When my great-grandfather conquered the Baron Gryff in battle and claimed the Hall, it came with a vast but quite empty library. He and all the lords of Gryffon Hall since have felt compelled to fill the shelves; most of the books are plunder, taken from great estates far and wide.”

***