Excerpt Tour: She’s the One Who Gets in Fights

I’m happy to welcome multi-published author S. R. Cronin. Today, Sherrie shares her new release, She’s the One Who Gets in Fights.

Blurb

Do you know what your problem is?

Sulphur knows hers. This 13th-century woman has trained as a fighter all her life in hopes of joining the army. Then, within days, both of her older sisters announce plans and suddenly Sulphur is expected to find a man to marry instead.

Is it her good fortune her homeland is gripped by fear of a pending invasion and the army now goes door to door encouraging recruits? Sulphur thinks it is. But once she’s forced to kill in a small skirmish, she’s ready to rethink her career decision. Too bad it’s too late. The invasion is coming, and Ilari needs every good soldier it has.

Once Sulphur learns Ilari’s army has made the strategic decision to not defend certain parts of the realm, including the one where her family lives, she has to re-evaluate her loyalty. Is it with the military she’s always admired? Or is it with her sisters, who are hatching a plan to defend their homeland with magic?

The problem with being a woman who fights for what’s right is that now, she has to figure out what is.

(The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters consists of seven short companion novels. Each tells the personal story and perspective of one of seven radically different sisters in the 1200s as they prepare for an invasion of their realm. While these historical fantasy/alternate history books can be enjoyed as stand-alone novels, together they tell the full story of how Ilari survived.)

Excerpt

I hoped Davor would return soon, but he didn’t. Weren’t there arrangements to be made for the wedding? For their life together afterward? Didn’t he want to spend time with his betrothed?

When I asked Coral about his absence, she turned serious and changed the subject.

“You must know about this military threat that looms over Ilari.”

I did. For nearly a year now, rumors had circulated about a horde of invaders coming from the mountains to the east. Word was they fought from horseback, swarming into places and taking over before the surprised victims could gather their weapons.

Some said they only wanted tribute, taking a small amount of farmed goods to supplement the bleak diet provided by their own cold mountains. Others said they demanded a near slavery that no realm should tolerate. Some reported these invaders burned everything to the ground, indiscriminately killing the helpless and harmless along with the soldiers.

The lack of consistent information had turned them into a frightening monster of mythical proportions. Yet, the reports all agreed on one point. They moved further westward every winter and soon we’d be in their path.

“Yes. I know of the Mongol threat. Ilari could face a tough challenge this coming winter or next.”

“The Svadlu especially,” she said. “They already take this quite seriously.”

“As well they should.”

I considered this threat to be an added incentive for joining soon. If I got trained and put into a fighting unit, I’d have a chance to help Ilari.

“Davor is a key part of this effort.”

“Really?”

“Yes. He’s been tasked with training the soldiers to meet this challenge. It’s why he can’t leave Pilk now, with so much happening.”

Well, this did make sense. I had no idea my hopeful sponsor bore such a responsibility.

“When will you see him again?”

I noticed the sadness on Coral’s face. Indeed, being the wife of a soldier was no easy thing.

“Probably not until the wedding.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that.” I meant it for her, of course. This should have been a happier time in her life but to be honest, I was sad for me as well, knowing I had nearly an eighth to wait before I could ask this stranger the question on which my entire life hinged.

Then, I saw the advantages of asking for an important favor around such an auspicious time. Doubtless Davor would be at his happiest and eager to please his new wife’s family. Maybe it was lucky I hadn’t had the opportunity to ask sooner. I couldn’t imagine a groom saying no to such a reasonable request from a new sister-in-law.

Buy Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Smashwords

Author Bio and Links

Sherrie Cronin is the author of a collection of six speculative fiction novels known as 46. Ascending and is now in the process of publishing a historical fantasy series called The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters. A quick look at the synopses of her books makes it obvious she is fascinated by people achieving the astonishing by developing abilities they barely knew they had.

She’s made a lot of stops along the way to writing these novels. She’s lived in seven cities, visited forty-six countries, and worked as a waitress, technical writer, and geophysicist. Now she answers a hot-line. Along the way, she’s lost several cats but acquired a husband who still loves her and three kids who’ve grown up just fine, both despite how eccentric she is.

All her life she has wanted to either tell these kinds of stories or be Chief Science Officer on the Starship Enterprise. She now lives and writes in the mountains of Western North Carolina, where she admits to occasionally checking her phone for a message from Captain Picard, just in case.

Giveaway

S. R. Cronin will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Find out more here.

Follow Sherrie on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.