New Release - The Fane Queen - A YA Fantasy

It's officially released! Book 11 of The Guardians of Glede YA fantasy series. Here is the blurb:

Attempting to escape one’s past can have devastating consequences.

Ask Tavin Sylvain, who is trying to forget all about the abuse he suffered at the hands of the trolls six months earlier.

Ask Kitiara, who would like to escape her sordid past in Kartonn, where she was known as the Princess of Pleasure.

Or ask King Jansson van Tannen, who would like nothing better than to keep his family intact and not have to face the possibility of losing one of his own beloved children to fate.

When the past rears its ugly head, all three are thrown into turmoil. Tavin, Brann and Kitiara are lost in Karsaba, without magic, without direction, without hope. And in the middle of a troll invasion. In a race against time, King Jansson and King Kyel gather their closest friends and allies to find the children before the trolls find them first.

Here is a snippit from one of the chapters:

The scene was so familiar. Thirty-four years ago when he was but a child of five, the Keltins had stormed his own village, killing everyone. He had been the sole survivor due to his father's quick, desperate thinking. Druce's gaze traveled over the interior of the hut, finally settling on a small, wooden grain bin. Such was the one he had been hidden in, told to be very quiet, and left. He had heard the screams of his parents as they'd died, the heavy accents of the Keltins as they ransacked and robbed the cottage. And then silence had descended. This same heavy, pain-ridden silence that pressed on him from all sides. Slowly, he approached the grain bin, memories making his heart pound wildly. If he just opened it, he was sure he'd see himself, that terror-stricken five-year old of Mere Odain.

He reached out a shaky hand, grasped the wooden handle and pulled.

A small face with wide eyes stared back.

Druce shrieked and stumbled backward, fell against and over a chair to land in a painful heap on the hard wooden floor. Before he could even right himself, Willow was in the doorway, her sword poised, her green eyes fierce. She caught sight of the child at once, and quickly lowered her weapon.

"What happened?" she murmured to Druce, then without waiting for an answer, went slowly to the child. "It's all right," she cooed softly. "You can come out now. The bad people are gone."

"Willow," Druce managed through a throat gone dry. "Her parents."

Willow's gaze darted to the dead couple, and she positioned herself in front of the child to block the view. Druce staggered to his feet, snatched up a blanket and covered the bodies.

Willow returned her attention to the child. "Come on. Come out. I'll help." She extended her hand and helped the child from the box.

It was a little girl, no more than three, with large, almond shaped blue eyes, and curly wisps of pale strawberry blonde hair framing her round face. She was still dressed in her nightshirt, and her small feet were bare. Druce handed Willow a blanket he found on the floor. The little girl's eyes lit up and she grabbed the blanket, hugging it to her, and stroking her cheek with the frayed edges. Willow picked her up and took her from the cottage. Druce followed slowly.

"We need to get her out of here," Willow said quietly. "There are probably horses not far away. They'll try to return to their stable. Hopefully we can catch two." She looked at him with a frown. "Are you all right?"

"Y…yes," Druce stammered, though he was trembling. "Let's see if we can find those horses." He began to walk, Willow trailing along.


You can read a larger excerpt on my homepage at: JennaKay Francis and you can read the entire first chapter on my publishers page at: Readers Eden

Enjoy!