The Witches of Crannock Dale
Mara of the League Book 1
by Thomas M. Kane
Genre:
Fantasy
When an enemy army threatens eleven-year old Mara’s home, she makes up her mind to
save her family, one way or another. But when the knights protecting
her village arrest her favorite aunt for witchcraft, she discovers
that the difference between friend and foe may not be as obvious as she once thought.
This is a story of war and espionage, set in a low fantasy world. It is also about a
child getting to know her mother and father in a new way.
Mamma herded me to my bedroom. “You go in and close the door.” She
looked down the corridor toward the parlor and then back at me. “We are not
finished here, do you understand? We are going to talk about this later, and
when your father comes back, we are talking about it with him too. Do you
understand me?”
I nodded, and Mamma went back to the parlor. Once she was gone, I
went in and closed the door, just as I’d been bid. Then I saw something which
made me feel as if my heart was going to stop. My cat Maxwell had found the
secret letter. He lay on his back on my desk, chomping it, using his forepaws
to keep the crescent-shaped remains in front of his mouth as if he were eating
a slice of melon.
The room was quiet, but I felt as if I could hear a waterfall
roaring in my head. Maxwell had gotten me in a lot of trouble, but it’s no use
scolding a cat, so I picked him up, cradled him against my chest and rocked
him. “Maxie, Maxie, Maxie, I wish you hadn’t done that. Now people are going to
get killed.”
Maxwell put his chin on my shoulder and purred.
Thomas M. Kane is a fantasy author living high on a wooded hilltop. He
taught international relations at a British university for close to
twenty years and brings his insights concerning real-life war and
politics into his fiction. He takes a character-based approach to
writing, paying attention to his protagonists' personal relationships
and inner lives.
I love illustration and this cover seems to show the time period and content very well! :D
ReplyDelete~Stacy Renee
Regret the delay in my reply! I am honored by your kind words. Since I did not paint the cover myself, I don't think I'm boasting when I say I agree -- I am deeply impressed by artist Robin Birrell's work.
DeleteThank you very, very much for hosting me on the Witches of Crannock Dale tour!
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome! :)
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