Forget Me Knot (Royal Reaper 2)
by Ruth Silver
Publisher: Booktrope
Published: June 23, 2015
Also available on Barnes & Noble and iBooks
Excerpt
Death crept into the castle. Mara could feel its darkness pressing her down. As she walked to her father's bedchamber, the thought of marrying a man she did not love weighed heavily on her. All the invitations had been sent out months ago. Just as her life was beginning to almost feel normal, her father, King Philip, had fallen ill along with the court of Casmerelda and much of the kingdom. The second wave of the plague violently spread, leaving a trail of death and burning corpses for the living to clean up.
Her father had been bedridden for three days. His fever spiked and his skin glistened. He grew delirious, falling in and out of consciousness. As much as she despised him for what he’d done to her sister’s boyfriend, he was still her father. She didn’t want to be left alone.
“You must marry Astin at once.”
Mara cringed. “I can’t.” Her lips hidden as she wore a piece of ivory cloth against her nose and mouth, the slightest bit of protection from the disease that had taken over the kingdom. “I don’t love him. Please don’t do this to me.”
“Don’t be selfish.” The words struggled to reach his lips. He coughed and heaved, his chest rising and falling quickly as his pulse raced. “I’ll be with your mother soon…”
“You’ll be dead.”
Taking in several deep breaths, he opened his mouth, his words coming out as a whisper. “You will be reigning queen. Mara, you must act the part. Marry Astin and forge an alliance with the country of Morro, for the sake of Casmerelda. Your people need you.”
“I need you,” Mara said, gripping her father’s hand. She frowned, studying the tips of his fingers, a blackened hue lacing his skin.
“You shouldn’t touch me.” He tried to pull away, unsuccessfully. Her grip remained tight, but more significantly, he’d grown weak from the disease ravaging his body.
“I haven’t been infected, and I’ve been at your bedside every night.” Mara ordered the servants to bring more water and rags. It had done little good to break his fever or alleviate the discomfort he must have been experiencing, but it was all she could think of to help.
“Marry Astin.” His words were rough slipping past his lips. He wheezed, trying to speak, but Mara rested a hand upon his chest.
“Don’t.” She didn’t want to have this conversation again.
“For the sake of the kingdom,” he said, pleading with her.
Mara refused to answer. Marrying Astin wasn’t what she wanted. “I have no desire to be queen so young. You will pull through, do you hear me?”
He’d fallen into a deep slumber, unable to answer her.
AWhat are you
writing now?
I’m currently writing under the pen name Ravyn
Rayne. I’ve been working on developing several romantic series for adult
readers. I’ve also recently released another YA title, Stolen Art, released by
Lazy Day Publishing.
Do you have
plans to continue the Royal Reaper saga?
I’ve definitely left it open ended to continue the
series, but I have no immediate plans at the moment for the next book. I feel
that a spin-off would probably be more appropriate, given the ending of Forget Me Knot.
Do you
write full-time?
Yes! I write about 25k words a week when I’m able
to write without distractions. It also helps if I have a story in mind!
Favorite
singer?
I love Taylor Swift and also Katy Perry.
If you
could travel anywhere, where would you go?
I’d love to visit Europe. Specifically I want to
see Paris and Rome.
About the Author
Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of the Aberrant trilogy. With a passion for writing and a love of story-telling, Ruth is actively writing two series: Royal Reaper and Orenda. She also writes The Federal Agent Chronicles and Palace Secrets, both of which are adult romance under the name Ravyn Rayne for Blushing Books. Her interests include traveling, reading, and photography. Her favorite vacation destination is Australia. Ruth currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois.Follow Ruth here:
Blog- http://writeawaybliss.com
Facebook- http://facebook.com/writeawaybliss
Twitter- http://twitter.com/writeawaybliss
Looking for a steamier read? Check her out here:
Blog- http://ravynrayne.com
Facebook- http://facebook.com/ravynraynereads
Twitter- http://twitter.com/blushingravyn
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