Release date: June 25, 2018
Subgenre: Urban Fantasy
About Klone's Stronghold:
In a world of supernatural beings, not knowing what you are is dangerous.
After
Reeni Dutta's ex-husband Karl attacks her at a music festival, she
finds a refuge teaching cryptid construct children at Klone's Stronghold
in northeastern Oregon's isolated Bucket Mountains. But things are not
as they seem at the Stronghold, from the older proprietors of a nearby
store and the Stronghold's leader Alexander Reed Klone, to Reeni
herself. She discovers it's not just Karl who seeks to control who and
what she is, but forces from her past that threaten her present. Can she
learn the truth about herself and do what is needed in time to defend
the Stronghold?
Excerpt:
“Gonna be a nice weekend for the Mudhole show!” Trina said from the
front passenger seat, half-turning her head so that I saw her in
profile. “Don’t you think so, Rocky?”
“Probably,” Rocky said absently, focusing on the two-lane country
road winding its way through grassy farmlands and occasional oak
patches. “Might get a little coastal fog in the morning, though.
The Hangout’s close enough to the Coast Range for that. You did
bring warm coverups, right, Reeni?”
“You’re never going to let me forget that raft trip, are you?” I bit back the
sharp edge that threatened to creep into my voice. Rocky hadn’t
known me before Karl, King of Glamping. “I know the coastal climate. Trina and I used to camp at Cape Lookout all
the time. I just didn’t know about desert climate then.”
Before Karl. Before husbands. I studiously stared at the patch of
bigleaf maple trees that sheltered a farmhouse as tension tightened
my gut. It’s going to be all right, I told myself. You’re entitled to a life after Karl.
Trina slapped Rocky’s thigh. “That spare tent and sleeping bag we
brought for Reeni were originally hers, goofball. Just because Karl
didn’t camp doesn’t mean that Reeni hasn’t.”
Rocky laughed. “Being chivalrous meant I froze my butt. Just making
sure. Sorry, Reeni.” He slowed the car. “Crud. Protestors. Better
get down, Reeni.”
That tense sensation in my gut cinched down tighter. Another worry.
The Mudhole band catered to halflings and supernaturals as much as
they did full humans. It made for a fun show, but….
Not everyone was tolerant of tolerance.
“Can you see who it is?” I asked Trina.
She knew what I meant. “Yeah.” She leaned forward as Rocky slowed
even more, following the line of cars turning onto the gravel drive
leading to the Hangout. “Might be all right. Looks like it might be
just the usual land use protestors.”
Now those were protestors I could handle. The Hangout wasn’t particularly
popular with two of their conservative farm neighbors. As a result
the number of shows like the Mudhole’s three-day festival were
limited.
“Whew.” I settled back in my seat. Still, slender strands of
tension threaded through my gut. I wasn’t going to dismiss that
worry until we were complete inside the venue. Something’s wrong. I didn’t know what it was. Yet.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” Trina cautioned as we drew closer.
“There’s more than the usual protestors—oh crud.”
Right then I almost threw up. “What?”
“Anti-supernaturals.” She peered closer. “And they’re not all
white—shit! Reeni, get down! Religious and I think I see your
uncle!”
“Shit!” I lay flat on my side in the back seat, pulling the
just-in-case blanket over me. “Anyone besides Jayanesh?” I asked,
once I was certain I was covered. Dread cinched tighter on me. This
weekend was supposed to be fun. Not a family intervention.
“Sheriff’s keeping them back,” Trina said. “But yeah. Pastor
Ananda’s there.”
“My parents?” I choked back the sick bitter taste in my mouth.
“No—wait. Your father.”
Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Apple iTunes | Scribd | 24symbols | Angus & Robertson
About Joyce Reynolds-Ward:
Joyce
Reynolds-Ward is a speculative fiction writer who splits her time between
Enterprise and Portland, Oregon. Her short stories have appeared in Children
of a Different Sky, Steam. And Dragons, Tales from an Alien Campfire, River,
How Beer Saved the World 1, Fantasy Scroll Magazine, and Trust and
Treachery among others. Her books include Shadow Harvest, Alien
Savvy, Netwalking Space, Pledges of Honor, Challenges of Honor,
and Klone’s Stronghold. Joyce recently completed editing her first
anthology, Pulling Up Stakes. Besides writing, Joyce enjoys reading,
quilting, horses, skiing, and outdoor activities.
No comments:
Post a Comment