Thorn Excerpt + Free Stories!

What a busy week!

Usually I send my newsletter out on Wednesday, but this week I've been so busy that I haven't had time until today (Friday). Sorry about that!

Read on for an excerpt from Thorn, my Rapunzel retelling, which comes out on 3/23/23. Hope you have a great weekend!

Thorn - Chapter One Excerpt

Prue stood at the arched window of her tower, surveying the confines of the private realm in which she lived. Her tower castle was so tall that it almost touched the clouds, and if the weather was clear, she could see anywhere in Spyr Realm she desired.

On the horizon, she gazed upon the snow-covered mountaintops, with forests and clearings beneath where she honed her archery and dance skills. Moonlight cascaded over the realm, illuminating everything except for her favorite spot, a viewpoint tucked away beyond the reach of the double moons.

That is how she knew its location was special.

Having grown up here, Prue knew every single part of Spyr Realm. The realm only held one building, the imposing Spyr Castle where Prue lived with her mother Embla. The castle was two stories high without a ground-level entry which connected to the tower which housed Prue’s bedroom. The only point of entry was through the arched window where she stood, and vines climbed the building’s height to allow access to both Prue and Embla.

She had devoted full stretches of daylight to swimming in lakes and wading in creeks. Some days she climbed mountains, the sound of her breathing grew louder with every step as she climbed, and the sight of the sun setting in the distance greeted her on her descent. Often, daytime or nighttime meant no difference to her, as no one cared when she went to bed, or whether she ever did. Prue had grown accustomed to the sights of Spyr, and the familiarity of it all had rendered it uninteresting. There was no stone unturned or tree unclimbed; she had seen and done it all.

No danger lurked here, save for the thorn slowly making its way to her heart.

No other mystery confounded her, until a few weeks ago, when something miraculous happened. Mother Embla lay in bed in her room downstairs, and Prue, cocooned in the silence of her tower, was lazily reading a book, when suddenly, a plumed creature flew in from the break in the mists, its wings rustling the air, and landed atop the ledge of her arched window.

Prue slowly stepped closer to the bird, the book forgotten in her hand, and took in its delicate features. Its glittering feathers and pointed beak mesmerized her, both more impressive than the illustrations from her books. Prue was mesmerized by the blackbird’s delicate features, and she nearly succumbed to the urge to touch it. But in a flurry of feathers, the bird was gone, and Prue ran to the window to follow its journey back home.

There was an opening she could spot between moving clouds, a place where the realm appeared cracked. Prue squinted and saw a sea of emerald trees, much taller than the ones of her realm, and her heart raced when she realized her next course of action.

That was the first time she had been presented with the chance, and she embraced it eagerly.

Prue raced across the room of her tower, snatching up her bow and arrow, the one she had crafted with her own hands and not the one Embla had purchased from the market, for it had become warped from the rain and unusable from overuse.

She then sprinted to the library, her pen scratching the paper as she hastily wrote her note, and then gingerly secured the parchment around the arrow, making sure the arrow’s tears wouldn’t destroy her words.

Dear finder of this letter,

I am locked in a place called Spyr Realm, and I require your help. Please, if you find this letter, come looking for me. I cannot bear being stuck here much longer.

All my luck to you,

Prue

The first letter she sent was formal, but as she wrote a new one each day, her desperation grew, and her words became frantic and pleading as Embla's health deteriorated.

Note: This snippet is still subject to further edits, so it might end up a little different in the book.

Preorder Thorn today while it's still at a special preorder price of 99c.

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Thank you for being here, dear reader!

I appreciate all of you for coming along on this author journey with me. Hope you all have a fantastic day!

Best,

Katie

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Hi! I'm Katie Rodante.