GLIMPSES Update and SNIPPET
I know many of you are champing at the bit (and no, there's none of that in GLIMPSES, sorry) to preorder. At least I hope there are many of you. We've had a few hiccups in formatting, so it's taken a bit longer than we'd hoped. So far, as many of you have noted, there is no pre ordering available, but we're working on that and believe me, I will announce it as soon as it is.
My editor is proofing the final product sometime between now and Monday and hopefully all will be well for the actual release date.
In order to make it up to you, here's a snippet from the first story in the collection, "Misfit," which takes place during Seregil's earliest days in Skala, while he's a junior scribe at the palace.
From "Misfit", Glimpses, by Lynn Flewelling
Korathan had a mug of ale in one hand and a meat pasty in a napkin in the other. “What’s wrong? Why are you here in the dark?”
Seregil held up the folio. “I just finished. I have to deliver this to Duke Nirus. What are you doing here?” The words came out much harsher than he’d intended.
But Korathan just smiled. “I heard Emidas kept you late again, so I brought you some supper.”
He put the mug and the pasty down on a desk, then took a lamp and lit it from one in the corridor. “Go on and eat,” he urged, shutting the door again. “Then I’ll walk with you to the duke’s rooms.”
“Thank you.” It was hard to speak with a lump in your throat. Korathan and his sisters were really the only friends he had in this wretched place, and he seldom got to see them. The queen was kind and the princesses were pleasant, but only the prince sought him out.
He knew Korathan must have seen that he’d been crying, but the prince didn’t say anything. Seregil deeply appreciated that. Instead, Korathan talked about a new horse his father had given him while Seregil ate. Between the food and the companionship, Seregil began to feel a little better.
“Say, after we get those papers delivered, we could go back to my rooms and play some bakshi,” Korathan offered. “You’ve almost got the hang of it.”
Seregil managed a smile. “You’re a good teacher.”
When he was finished eating, he blew out the lamp again and they set off together. There were still many nobles strolling the halls and they all bowed respectfully to the prince, who mostly ignored them as he told Seregil more about the strategy of the game. Seregil got a few curious looks, as he always did. He’d heard there were other ‘faie in the city, but he was the only one in the palace, and a bit of a mystery. Or perhaps it was seeing the prince with a lowly junior scribe. Still, with Korathan beside him, Seregil didn’t feel so lonely and out of place.
The scriptorium was in a wing of the sprawling palace reserved for various functionaries like Emidas. After several twists and turns, however, they entered the palace proper, where there were tapestries on the walls and carpets on the floor. These did little soften the dour ugliness of the place, to Seregil’s eye.
“I know a short cut,” Korathan said taking him by the hand and leading him out into a very large, dark garden. The pathways had been cleared, but snow lay deep on either side.
As they headed for a lighted doorway on the far side, Korathan didn’t let go of Seregil’s hand. He was wearing a wool surcoat and boots. Seregil was shivering in his cloak and slippers. It was a long way across this garden.
“You’re cold. I’m sorry. Maybe we shouldn’t have come this way.” Korathan stopped and put an arm around Seregil’s shoulders. “Is that better?”
“That’s all right. We’re almost there.” Seregil started to walk but Korathan’s arm tightened around his shoulders, holding him fast.
Then the one-armed embrace became a two-armed hug. “You’re miserable here, aren’t you?”
In all the time Seregil had been here, no one had ever asked him that. Or hugged him. A feeling very akin to relief welled up in his heart, and he nodded as he hugged him back.
Korathan stroked Seregil’s hair, then kissed him gently on the forehead. “I’ll speak to Mother.”
“Thank you!”
Korathan looked down at him for a moment, the kissed him on the lips. It lasted too long for a family kiss. Seregil froze, not knowing what to do.
“Why did you do that?” he asked when Korathan was finished.
“You didn’t like it?”
“I-uh-“ Korathan’s arms were still around him but he released Seregil when he stepped back to collect his thoughts. “I didn’t know that you liked men.”
“I heard you do.”
Here endth the snippet.
My editor is proofing the final product sometime between now and Monday and hopefully all will be well for the actual release date.
In order to make it up to you, here's a snippet from the first story in the collection, "Misfit," which takes place during Seregil's earliest days in Skala, while he's a junior scribe at the palace.
From "Misfit", Glimpses, by Lynn Flewelling
Korathan had a mug of ale in one hand and a meat pasty in a napkin in the other. “What’s wrong? Why are you here in the dark?”
Seregil held up the folio. “I just finished. I have to deliver this to Duke Nirus. What are you doing here?” The words came out much harsher than he’d intended.
But Korathan just smiled. “I heard Emidas kept you late again, so I brought you some supper.”
He put the mug and the pasty down on a desk, then took a lamp and lit it from one in the corridor. “Go on and eat,” he urged, shutting the door again. “Then I’ll walk with you to the duke’s rooms.”
“Thank you.” It was hard to speak with a lump in your throat. Korathan and his sisters were really the only friends he had in this wretched place, and he seldom got to see them. The queen was kind and the princesses were pleasant, but only the prince sought him out.
He knew Korathan must have seen that he’d been crying, but the prince didn’t say anything. Seregil deeply appreciated that. Instead, Korathan talked about a new horse his father had given him while Seregil ate. Between the food and the companionship, Seregil began to feel a little better.
“Say, after we get those papers delivered, we could go back to my rooms and play some bakshi,” Korathan offered. “You’ve almost got the hang of it.”
Seregil managed a smile. “You’re a good teacher.”
When he was finished eating, he blew out the lamp again and they set off together. There were still many nobles strolling the halls and they all bowed respectfully to the prince, who mostly ignored them as he told Seregil more about the strategy of the game. Seregil got a few curious looks, as he always did. He’d heard there were other ‘faie in the city, but he was the only one in the palace, and a bit of a mystery. Or perhaps it was seeing the prince with a lowly junior scribe. Still, with Korathan beside him, Seregil didn’t feel so lonely and out of place.
The scriptorium was in a wing of the sprawling palace reserved for various functionaries like Emidas. After several twists and turns, however, they entered the palace proper, where there were tapestries on the walls and carpets on the floor. These did little soften the dour ugliness of the place, to Seregil’s eye.
“I know a short cut,” Korathan said taking him by the hand and leading him out into a very large, dark garden. The pathways had been cleared, but snow lay deep on either side.
As they headed for a lighted doorway on the far side, Korathan didn’t let go of Seregil’s hand. He was wearing a wool surcoat and boots. Seregil was shivering in his cloak and slippers. It was a long way across this garden.
“You’re cold. I’m sorry. Maybe we shouldn’t have come this way.” Korathan stopped and put an arm around Seregil’s shoulders. “Is that better?”
“That’s all right. We’re almost there.” Seregil started to walk but Korathan’s arm tightened around his shoulders, holding him fast.
Then the one-armed embrace became a two-armed hug. “You’re miserable here, aren’t you?”
In all the time Seregil had been here, no one had ever asked him that. Or hugged him. A feeling very akin to relief welled up in his heart, and he nodded as he hugged him back.
Korathan stroked Seregil’s hair, then kissed him gently on the forehead. “I’ll speak to Mother.”
“Thank you!”
Korathan looked down at him for a moment, the kissed him on the lips. It lasted too long for a family kiss. Seregil froze, not knowing what to do.
“Why did you do that?” he asked when Korathan was finished.
“You didn’t like it?”
“I-uh-“ Korathan’s arms were still around him but he released Seregil when he stepped back to collect his thoughts. “I didn’t know that you liked men.”
“I heard you do.”
Here endth the snippet.