Preview: Waken by Angela Fristoe

While it will be my fourth book published, Waken is actually the first novel I ever wrote. Thankfully it has gone through many rounds of revisions and while it's not quite ready for release, I have been working on this last round of revisions like crazy and hope to have editing done by the end of July!

Back in 2010, Waken was called The Evolution of Janie and won the Romance category of The Strongest Start contest on The Next Big Writer. Since then I've revamped pretty much everything after those first 3 chapters and am finally happy with the direction the story has gone.

So to keep myself motivated, I am going to post a sample each week until it is published!

Waken
by Angela Fristoe
Release: Fall 2014

Excerpt from Chapter 1

I smoothed my hand over the delicate etching on the small wooden box that sat on my dresser then lifted the lid. Shifting through the various necklaces, I searched for the one I wanted. The last time I’d seen it, my mother had tried to rip it from my neck. In the six years since she left, I hadn’t even thought of it.

Now it called to me. It was burrowed in a corner of the box. The silver charm twirled as I pulled the knotted chain free, the one tangible piece of evidence that I had a mother and father, from the mess. A small wolf silhouette dangled from the chain. I reached up and caught the charm between my thumb and finger, turning it so I could see clearly.

My thumb brushed across it and I jerked as suddenly the air was sucked from the room. Everything turned black and then just as quickly burst with color. A cool breeze settled around me and the colors shifted, taking on solid forms.

My room was gone and sunlight filtered through towering trees as I found myself at the edge of a pool of water.

A waterfall thunders behind me. Cold fingers wrap around my neck, squeezing. I reach up, my hands flailing, pushing against her cheeks. My vision blurs and a burning pain fills my chest as I gasp for breath.

Twisting my fingers into her pale hair, I wrench with all my strength. Her scream shatters the calm of the forest, the pain in my ears more intense than that of my starving lungs. She throws me from her and I crumple to the hard ground, gasping for air. Her hand touches her bleeding scalp. A patch of blonde locks is tangled between my fingers.

“I should have killed you the day I found out about you,” she spits, wiping her hand along her hip. A deep red streak mars the pristine white gown.

I begin to scramble back. She’s on me before I can move. Razor sharp nails bite into my arm as she drags me to the water’s edge, thrusting me under its crystal surface. The shock of the icy water freezes my muscles.

Submerged in the frigid depths of the pool I can hear the thundering of the waterfall as it plunges through the water, echoing the pounding of my heart. Vivid green eyes glare at me, filled with every ounce of hatred she has for me. I clutch her wrist and strain to break free. My exhausted lungs ache for air, but her grasp is unbreakable. I take a breath and icy water fills my lungs. My body jerks in agony as my chest feels ripped apart. I take another gulp, more pain. She disappears as the water churns with my struggles, but her grip remains, never weakening. My movements slow and gradually my stiff fingers relax their hold on her.

The water settles and I stare at her through the haze of color settling around me. Even distorted in fury, her face remains angelic. This is the real her. This is my mother.