Men of Foxwick by Cherie Reich is now available! This fantasy
short story collection features five men from the Kingdom of Foxwick.
A blind teen seeks a place in the kingdom. A dragon seer journeys
to Wintermill to spy on the queen. A sword master’s worst fear
comes true when he fails to protect the royal family. A king falls in
love with an herb witch, but will she feel the same way? A hunter
will rise to the challenge to hunt down a man-eating monster.
Short stories in this collection: Blind Scribe, Dragon Spy, Sword
Master, Courting Magic, and Monster Hunter
An Excerpt from “Blind Scribe” in Men of Foxwick
Dallan counted his steps as his mama and he weaved through the busy
streets of Foxwick. Twenty-six, twenty-seven. They’d passed
the fruit stand and were now farther into Foxwick than he’d ever
been in his fifteen summers. People, just moving shadows, brushed
against his shoulder. He scrunched toward Mama to make his lanky
frame smaller. The odor of sweat and manure combated the more
pleasant scents of flowers and baking bread. A bead of sweat trickled
into his hairline, and he longed for the comfort of their small
house.
“Keep up, Dallan.” Mama’s skirts brushed against his pants’
legs.
“Where are you taking me?” He clung to her arm and dragged his
feet. They’d gone too far. The shadows darkened, as if the sun had
slipped behind the horizon, and he had no clue where he was now.
She halted mid-step before yanking him forward. “I do not wish to
do this, but we have little c-choice.”
“Do what, Mama?” He wanted to dig his heels into the pavement and
halt their progress. Had she decided he was more trouble than he was
worth? Times were tough, and he was such little help. He tried to
plow straight—despite counting his steps and placing one foot in
front of the other—but he often tripped over the rocky soil. He
tried cooking, but he couldn’t even boil water without scorching
it. Though he wasn’t too bad as a tailor because he could count
stitches and feel where he needed to go, he still needed guidance.
She pulled him closer. Rough stone rubbed against his arm through his
thin shirt. A sob hitched in Mama’s throat as she emitted a
mouse-like squeak. She embraced him tightly and then smoothed his
damp hair from his face. “My sweet boy, I’m so, so sorry.”
“What’s wrong?” His heart pounded like a horse galloping across
an open field, each hoof beating the ground in a frantic rhythm.
Click here
to add on Goodreads.
About the Author: A self-proclaimed bookworm, Cherie Reich is
a speculative fiction writer, freelance editor, book blogger, and
library assistant living in Virginia. Her short stories have appeared
in magazines and anthologies, and her books include the horror series
Nightmare, a space fantasy trilogy titled Gravity, and
a fantasy series The Foxwick Chronicles. She is Vice President
of Valley Writers and a member of the Virginia Writers Club and
Untethered Realms.
Her debut YA Epic Fantasy novel Reborn, book one in The
Fate Challenges, will be released on May 23, 2014.
Also, Cherie has a special announcement for her email newsletter
subscribers. Click here
to sign up for her updates and receive a coupon for a free copy of
Women of Foxwick.
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Awesome. Congrats Cheri.
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Thank you, Donna!
DeleteThank you so much for featuring Men of Foxwick today! I appreciate it, Heather. :)
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