Recently on Twitter I mentioned a deleted scene from Sworn To Sovereignty, in which loyalties are questioned and motives are undermined. The scene was cut from the book for the sake of keeping the narrative moving, but its an interesting piece that I still like. This week I spoke with the Chicago Book Examiner (again) about my work as an author and how I write my books, so this seemed appropriate. The second Examiner interview will be live in the coming few weeks but I can tell you that they gave me a pretty exciting official review for Sworn To Raise now:

Chicago Books Examiner praises Sworn To Raise “First of series raises expectations for young adult genre”

Here you go! Enjoy. I’ll be posting buy links with the reveal of Chapters 1 and 2 soon.

 

New deleted scene from Bk8 going up under The Library. https://t.co/AUdSywHX7e Someone has trust issues. Someone else is under scrutiny.

— ♔Terah Edun♔ (@TEdunWrites) June 8, 2016

How does this help us? This constant bickering? This distrust. Anytime we encounter a new foe it rears its ugly head like a hydra who can’t be destroyed? Ciardis mused to herself wearily.

But Sebastian answered her anyway. By weeding out friend or foe. We need to make our alliance stronger. We need to know where we stand and who we can trust.

“We can trust Terris.”

“Because she’s your friend?” He said in a soft voice.

Ciardis felt ire and then anger build in her gaze. She didn’t bother softening that look however, she didn’t care who saw.

“She saved my life numerous times, all of our lives not even a week ago.”

Sebastian nodded and said, “Now we shall see if she’s willing to do more than risk her life and our own. Let’s see if she’s willing to risk her soul to protect her empire.”

Ciardis raised an eyebrow. “You mean to protect you.”

“The motives are one and the same,” he replied.

Ciardis took an uncomfortable step back and held up a forestalling hand. “No Sebastian, they’re not. Not this time. Not in this place.”

Sebastian cocked a quizzical head and looked at her. “Do you really believe that?”

Ciardis looked at him straight in the face and said, “I trust my friends. I trust Terris. She is loyal. She is kind. She, above all, is not someone whose motives I want to question. I might as well as question my own heart if I was to question hers.”