She's the One Who Can't Keep Quiet
(Book Five of the War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters)
by S. R. Cronin
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GENRE: Historical Fantasy
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BLURB:
Do you know what your problem is?
Celestine, the fifth of seven sisters, is tired of hearing about hers. Father thinks she’s frivolous because she likes pretty clothes and caters to the crowds in the taverns who adore her music. Mother thinks that because she’s the most social daughter in the family, she can’t keep quiet about anything.
They’re both wrong. Celestine hides a secret she has kept for most of her life.
As the family beauty and a talented musician with a lyrical voice, she has the best prospects for marriage to a prince. When such a liaison never happens, people assume Celestine is too choosy. But even in somewhat tolerant Ilari, a daughter hates to disappoint her family. How can she tell them she’s in love with a princess instead?
Lucky for Celestine, all her sisters are obsessed with an invading army headed to their realm. Celestine would rather ignore the threat and enjoy the freedom their lack of attention gives her. But, her voice can unlock a power that may help save Ilari. And the woman she loves is determined to fight these invaders. And her family, for all their talents, seems clueless about how to motivate the masses.
Celestine knows she can inspire the citizens of Ilari to do what needs to be done. Is it time to put her inhibitions aside and use her voice to save those she cares about?
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EXCERPT
The four of us usually took lodging at a cheap inn in Pilk where many musicians stayed. I suppose it made me easy to find, yet I jumped in surprise when Ura appeared at my door.
“Get out,” I said. “I’ve learned about luskies and I know what you can do. Don’t you dare speak.”
“How unreasonable. Would you want people to treat your sister this way?”
Of course I wouldn’t, but people had no reason to be scared of my sister.
I remembered what Coral told me. No one could make me dump a bucket of water over my head.
“Fine. What do you want?”
“I’m here to ask you to reconsider. Let me join your band.”
Instinctively I put my hands up over my ears.
“Oh don’t bother with that,” she said. “I can’t use the timbre on you for this. Your mind is made up.”
“You’re right. No, thank you. We don’t need you.”
“But that’s where you’re wrong. I only want to perform a song or two each night, Then, I’ll help out as your reputation consultant.”
“Our what?”
“You heard me. People are so easily influenced. They can be nudged into thinking performers aren’t as good as expected. Perhaps tonight you noticed what a well-spoken comment from the right person can do?”
She’d tried to poison the crowd against us before we began? And she’d done it hoping to get a job? I stared at her in disbelief.
“Yes, you won them over eventually,” she said, “But why work so hard to overcome my efforts every time you perform? Wouldn’t it be easier if I worked on your behalf? People can be nudged the other way too, you know.”
I wanted the Good Fortunes to be successful so badly that I considered her proposal for a heartbeat before I rejected it.
“Get out. Stay out. I wouldn’t hire you if you were the last human in Ilari. Do you understand?”
All the conniving drained out of her face, leaving only the hurt. How hard it must be to want a career for which one has no aptitude. Then my sympathy ran out. Nothing excused threatening me.
Hurt left her face as well, as anger replaced it.
“You’ve made your decision,” she said turning to leave. “You can live with the consequences.”
Great. Feene already feared luskies, and I suspected Mirva and Zamarran felt the same. How would they react when I warned them about Ura and her obsession with us?
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Sherrie Cronin writes stories about people achieving the astonishing by developing abilities they barely knew they had. She’s made a lot of stops along the way to telling these tells — living in seven cities, visiting forty-six countries, and working as a waitress, technical writer, and geophysicist. She’s lost too many beloved cats to mention, but has acquired a husband and three children who are all doing fine, despite how odd she is.
Today she lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina where she writes, answers a hotline, and occasionally checks her phone for a message from Captain Picard. She still hopes to get the chance to pursue her remaining dream in life and become Chief Science Officer on the Starship Enterprise.
Author Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cinnabar01
Facebook: www.facebook.com/46Ascending
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s.r.cronin/
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/5805814.Sherrie_Cronin
Amazon: www.amazon.com/Sherrie-Cronin/e/B007FRMO9Q
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/s-r-cronin
Author Blog: https://troublesome7sisters.xyz/
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
S. R. Cronin will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via
rafflecopter during the tour.
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