Sleeping Love Sneak Peek

Hello all!

My next book, Sleeping Love, comes out on Friday the 18th!  It's a retelling of Sleeping Beauty.  I posted an early book synopsis here, but I've tweaked things a bit since then.   To celebrate the upcoming release, today I'm giving you all a sneak peek at the cover, the new synopsis, and...the first chapter!

I hope you guys enjoy!

As a baby, Rosalie was cursed to prick her finger and fall into a cursed sleep.  Now the curse is broken...but she remembers none of her past life.  Even worse, everyone else in her kingdom remains asleep.  Left with no alternatives, Rosalie agrees to marry the prince who awakened her - if he can make her fall in love with him before they arrive in his homeland.

But it's a long journey back to his kingdom, and Rosalie is filled with doubts.  Chief among them is the fact that Prince Justin's guard, Elliot, has eyes exactly like a boy she keeps dreaming about.  Are they just dreams, or are they memories?  Does Elliot hold some secret to her past?

Caught between a forgotten past and an unforeseeable future, Rosalie must follow her heart.

She woke up slowly, her mind fighting to stay in the comfort of the dark. Her body awoke first, her limbs tingling with a thousand pins and needles as though she had slept for a long time. For some reason her lips were also tingling. A voice spoke near her, and her tired mind took a while to process the words. When it finally managed, they made no sense to her. “It didn’t work,” sighed a high, somehow nervous voice. A significantly deeper voice uttered a hoarse curse from farther away from her.

The struggle to understand finally tore the last vestiges of sleep away from her. Her eyes opened. The room was dark, the only light within it pouring in through cracks in what inexplicably appeared to be an enormous rose bush growing through the window. Two men stood within the room. The first was young and slender, with short-cropped hair and rich, ornate clothing. His eyes widened as she sat up. “M’lady?” he said hesitantly, his voice identifying him as the nervous one. “I’m here to rescue you!”

The second man inhaled sharply from where he stood near the window. He was older than the first, perhaps in his thirties. His hair was long, pulled back into a tail, and his practical armor had obviously seen use in combat. It was his eyes which drew her attention, though. His face was a mask devoid of feelings, but all the emotion he strove to hide could be seen within his eyes. Pain, fear, longing, and something she couldn’t identify all lingered there.

The young man’s face suddenly swooped into her field of vision. “M’lady?” he asked.

She blinked, recalling his earlier words. “I’m sorry,” she said slowly. “Rescue me from what?”

His brow furrowed. “From the curse, of course!”

The other man stepped closer. “Do you remember?” he asked. His gruff voice was surprisingly gentle.

She frowned as they both watched her, the young man nervously, the older sadly. “I’m sorry,” she repeated after a moment. “I don’t. I know this sounds strange, but do either of you happen to know my name?”

She watched as the older man’s eyes widened. The young man laughed. He stopped when she looked at him, her expression belatedly informing him that she wasn’t joking. “Oh my. You really don’t know your name?”

She shook her head. “I’m afraid I don’t remember anything. That’s strange, isn’t it?”

The young man looked to the older for help. Obviously hesitant, the second man walked over to her bedside and gently knelt beside it. He met her gaze for a moment, and she was struck by how green his eyes were before he looked away. “Your name is Rosalie,” he said. “You are a princess, and this castle is your home.”

She looked around the room again, taking in more details this time. Now that he mentioned it, there was a feeling of opulence to the room; rich tapestries lined the walls, the bed she sat upon was soft and warm, and the broken window had at one time been made of stained glass. Everything in the room was covered in a layer of dust. She – Rosalie – frowned. 

“What happened to this place?” she asked.

“The curse!” the young man exclaimed, coming around and sitting on the bed beside her. She scooted back, uncomfortable, and the older man shot a glare at the younger. “Forgive me,” he said, holding up his hands. “I’m Prince Justin, by the way.”

Rosalie shook her head. “You keep mentioning a curse. What curse?”

“You were placed under a spell at your naming day,” the older man explained. “The curse did not take effect until you were almost eighteen.”

Prince Justin nodded excitedly. “You and everyone else fell into a deep sleep, only to be woken when you were given true love’s kiss.” He blushed at this. Rosalie suddenly had a horrified feeling that she knew exactly why her lips had been tingling.

“Wha– you kissed me?” She jumped out of bed, backing away from him. The prince stood to follow, but the older man grabbed his arm, stopping him. “I don’t even know you! How can that be true love?”

He hesitated, searching for words. An even more dreadful thought occurred to her. “Wait – do I know you? Did I, I mean? Were we in love?”

Justin's response was awkward. “No, m’lady. I apologize. I heard stories of your curse and came to see if I could free you from it. I had not met you before today.”

Rosalie shook her head vehemently. “Then how can it be true love?”

It was the older man who answered. “There was more to the curse than my companion said, Princess. Only a kiss from one of noble birth could break the spell.”

She frowned. “Your story keeps changing. I don’t even know who you people are, and you expect me to believe that I’m a princess, and my castle was under a curse? Why curse a baby in the first place? Who would do such a ridiculous thing?”

Justin raised a hand to stop her rant. “Elliot, would you go and see if you can find the King or Queen, please? Perhaps this would sound better coming from them - maybe she’ll remember her parents.”

The older man hesitated, shooting one last look her way before walking out the door. Justin waited until he had left before approaching her. “Rosalie, I know this must be difficult for you–” he began.

“Don’t! Don’t come near me,” she insisted, holding both hands before her. He paused, biting his lip in the awkward silence which followed.

Elliot strode back in. She hadn’t thought it possible, but his face was somehow more serious than it had been before. “I’m afraid I can show you proof of the curse,” he said.

“What? How?” Justin asked.

Elliot grimaced. “It appears waking her did not wake the rest of the castle. Everyone else is still asleep.”

Justin’s eyes widened, but Rosalie pushed past him before he could say anything. Elliot wordlessly held the chamber door for her as she stalked out of the room. He quickly caught up with her as she descended the stairs – apparently her room was at the top of a tower – and grabbed her elbow as she reached the bottom. She recoiled from his touch, but he looked even more uncomfortable than she. “Princess…this is not a pleasant sight,” he warned.

She held her head high. Thumping from behind her told her that Justin was catching up. “I’ll manage,” she responded, once more brushing past the man. The corridor was dark, its windows blocked by the same rose bushes that had forced their way into her room. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust. She nearly tripped over the first body on the floor.

She bit back a scream, determined not to prove Elliot right. She knelt next to the body, gingerly raising the woman’s wrist to check for a pulse. Rosalie bit back a sigh of relief when she found one. She began to shake the woman’s shoulders, trying to wake her up.

Elliot knelt beside her, shaking his head. “It’s no use, Princess. Their sleep is too deep.”

“How?” she asked. “How can this be?”

“I agree,” came Justin's voice from behind her. “I thought the others would wake up when she did?”

They both looked at Elliot. His face was in shadows as he shook his head, but Rosalie thought he looked as confused as they did. “I do not know,” he murmured after a moment. “That was what the curse said…”

Rosalie stood as well, shaking off Justin’s attempts to help her to her feet. “Perhaps you’d better tell me about this curse, then – and this time, start at the beginning!”

…

They walked around the castle as they talked, finding bodies lying sleeping in almost every room. The group stopped in the first courtyard they found, preferring the light of day to the grim, quiet darkness within the castle. The courtyard was in the same state of disrepair as the rest of the castle. Its fountain and stepping stones were cracked and full of overgrown weeds. It had once been left open on three sides, with high arches that must have offered a view of the surrounding lands, but the openings were long since overgrown with rose bushes. The luxurious, heady scent of the flowers surrounded the group as Elliot spoke of the curse.

“The King and Queen had been desperate for a child for years,” he began. “Upon your birth they celebrated, and invited the whole of the kingdom to do so with them. Everyone was invited to your name day, and a great feast was prepared. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to them, one of the creatures ordered slaughtered for the feast was a swan that was a familiar to a local sorceress.”

“Enraged at the death of her familiar, the sorceress arrived late to the feast just as the gifts were being given. She pushed her way to the front of the line, protesting that she too had a gift for the royal family. ‘As you have taken that which I love from me, so I will take that which you love from you,’ she declared. ‘By the eve of her eighteenth birthday, your daughter shall prick her finger upon a spindle. She and all in the kingdom shall fall into a deep sleep – a sleep that can only be broken by true love’s noble kiss.’ ”

Rosalie frowned. “Then why did I wake up? Justin may be noble, but I don’t love him.” She looked at the young man, who had flushed at her comment. “I’m sorry, but I don’t. How could I love someone I’ve never even met?”

He shook his head. “I understand. I don’t know why it worked. But it did, so that’s good, right?”

Elliot shook his head. “The rest of the castle should have woken up with her, and there’s nothing in the curse about a loss of memory. I don’t know what happened.”

“So I’m eighteen, then?” Rosalie asked. “Or younger, since the curse said by my eighteenth birthday…”

“Just a few days away from eighteen,” Justin responded. “The curse struck just before your birthday.”

Rosalie nodded. “And I’ve been asleep for how long?”

Elliot abruptly stood and walked away, leaving Justin to answer. “Thirteen years, m’lady,” he said quietly.

“Thirteen years?!” She rose from the dilapidated stone bench, the prince trying to follow and calm her down. “That’s only five years less than I’ve been alive! Do I look thirty now? What about the old people in the kingdom? Oh goodness, are they over a hundred now?!”

“You haven’t aged,” came Elliot’s harsh voice. “None of the victims of the curse aged.”

She breathed a sigh, relieved by that small blessing. “But still! Our relations with other kingdoms must have fallen into ruin. If the growth of these plants is anything to go by,” and here she aimed a kick at a nearby cluster of weeds, “then the fields are probably overrun with useless plants. Even if we could wake up the others, what would they awaken to?”

Justin shook his head. “I know for a fact that most other kingdoms have forgotten all about Ilaeria. The curse must have made people’s memories of your kingdom sleep too – even Fahra doesn’t remember you!” Seeing her blank look, he quickly amended his statement. “I’m the Prince of Fahra, which is only a week’s journey away.”

“If your kingdom forgot about us, then how did you know to come find me?” Rosalie asked. “Did you somehow remember Ilaeria?”

“I had no proof that it was real,” Justin admitted. “But bards and storytellers have made mention of Ilaeria for years now. I’ve no idea how they knew about it, but somehow they did. They sang of a sleeping princess and of a curse. I fell in love with the story years ago, and came to find you as soon as I came of age.”

Rosalie frowned. “Maybe that’s how you woke me up – you loved the story, the idea of me, even if you didn’t love me.”

The prince flushed again. “I came with the intention of doing the honourable thing,” he replied. “There is nothing for you here now. Your kingdom may be in ruins, but mine is wealthy. If– if you will have me, I will bring you back to Fahra as my bride.”

She stared at him for a moment, trying to judge if he was serious. Determining that he was, she protested, “But you still don’t know me!”

“Regardless, I fell in love with the sleeping beauty a long time ago,” Justin replied. “And in time, I feel that you could grow to love me as well.”

Rosalie shook her head. “You fell in love with a story, not with me! I’m more than just a…a sleeping damsel in distress for you to swoop in and rescue!”

“Really? Then who are you?” There was no malice in his question, but it stung nonetheless.

“I'm–” she hesitated, willing her memories to return. Her mind remained clouded. She shook her head, furious, but was unable to argue against him.

Justin nodded. “You can’t remember anything. You have nothing and no one here. I can offer you peace, security, and my love. Give me a chance, and I feel we can be happy together.”

She shook her head again. “But I don’t know you.” It was a weak protest, but it was all she had.

His voice was not unkind as he replied, “You know me better than you know anyone else.” Seeing the look on her face, he held up his hands. “I’ll make you a deal, m’lady – return to my kingdom with me. If at any point your people wake up, or you remember your life, I’ll personally bring you back here. But if you give me a chance on our journey home, and if you fall in love with me, I will announce our engagement upon returning to Fahra.”

Rosalie hesitated. The prince patted her on the shoulder. “Think about it,” he said. She hated that his voice was kind as he walked away.

“What choice do I have?” she responded, her voice so quiet that he scarcely heard her.

Justin looked back at her, pity upon his face. “I don’t know. I’m giving you the best choice I have.”

Rosalie bit her lip, fighting back tears as he left her.

…

The fading light in the courtyard told Rosalie that the sun was beginning to set. She stood and headed for the door to the castle’s interior. Her cheeks were still damp from crying, but her face was resolute, and her mind made up. Justin was not unkind, and his offer was the best choice she had available to her.

Rosalie stopped when she entered the castle hallway, her eyes taking a moment to adjust to the darkness within. She began to walk, not really knowing where she was headed. Footsteps muted by the rich carpet below made her whirl around, only to find Elliot standing a few steps behind her.

“Forgive me, Princess,” he murmured, not meeting her gaze. “I did not mean to startle you.” Rosalie’s eyes widened, and she raised a hand to her wet cheek. Had he stood by the door the whole time she had cried?

Elliot's awkward cough confirmed her suspicions. She blinked rapidly, trying to regain her composure. “It is I who should apologize. I thought you would have gone with the prince.”

The knight shook his head. “He tasked me to watch over you while he checked the castle for supplies.”

Rosalie nodded. “I see. May I ask you something?”

His brow furrowed, but he nodded. Rosalie gestured for them to begin walking, and the knight took the lead, seeming to know his way around the castle. “You heard our conversation?” she asked as they gingerly traversed around the bodies that littered the floor.

It was difficult to tell in the dim lighting, but Rosalie thought Elliot’s neck seemed flushed at her question. “I did,” he replied without turning.

“You serve the man. What is your opinion of Prince Justin?”

Elliot hesitated before answering. “He is kind,” he said, his tone thoughtful. “He does not stand to inherit the throne, and so has little interest in politics, but he is still wealthy. He is young, in more ways than just age – but he is honest, and trusting. If he tells you something, you may know it to be true.”

Rosalie blinked, startled by the amount the knight had shared. Her interactions with him thus far had led her to believe he was a man of few words. “You speak highly of him.”

Elliot nodded. “I have served his father for almost five years now. I watched the Prince become a man. I admire him more than I do his brothers.”

They entered a room larger than any they had traveled through. Its ceilings were high and hung with chandeliers; the walls were draped in rich, thick curtains. Rosalie stared up at the chandeliers, fascinated, and found her steps suddenly blocked by Elliot. “I’m sorry,” he murmured as she looked at him in confusion. “I didn't want you to trip.” He gestured with one hand and she followed the movement, gasping as her gaze fell to the floor.

The room was littered with dozens of bodies, all of them richly attired. Silken suits and shimmering gowns drew her eye. She had been about to stumble over one when the knight stopped her. Rosalie shook her head, feeling sickened as she looked around the room. “There’s so many of them,” she whispered.

She could feel the silent worry in Elliot’s gaze. “There was a dance, the night of the curse. Most of the kingdom was gathered here.” Her eyes snapped up to his face as he gently touched her wrist. “I’m sorry – there was no other way out. This way, Princess.” His voice was as gentle as his hand as he led her through the room. Rosalie did not look down again, trusting him to lead her through the maze of sleeping bodies.

She breathed a sigh of relief when they exited the room, and thought she heard a small exhale from the knight as well. “Thank you,” she said as he released her hand.

He gave a slight bow before taking up his position at the front. “It is my duty,” came his taciturn response.

…

Justin was waiting for them when they emerged from the castle a few minutes later. “There you are!” he said, rising from where he perched on the steps leading up to the door. “I was beginning to worry you had gotten lost – I know I did.”

Rosalie shook her head. “Your knight seems to know his way around the place.” She watched as Elliot descended the stairs, walking past Justin to where three horses were tethered.

The prince nodded. “He’s better at seeing in the dark than I am, at least. M’lady, I did not think you would want to stay inside the castle, so I took the liberty of moving some blankets and the like out here. We have a tent which you are welcome to use.”

She shuddered at the thought of sleeping amongst all of the others within the castle. “That’s very considerate, thank you.” She walked hesitantly towards him, noticing that the prince seemed as nervous as she did. “I thought about your offer…”

“Please, let me say something first,” Justin interjected. “I realize that this must be very traumatic for you, and I shouldn't have said anything before letting you get your bearings. I just wanted you to know that there are options available to you. However, I don't want to make you do anything you don’t want to do. I’d be more than happy to just escort you to Fahra and help you start a new life there – a life that does not have to include me.”

Rosalie blinked. “That’s very generous of you – as was your first offer. I realize that I don’t have many choices available, and I understand that you’re just trying to help. I’m sorry if I seemed rude earlier.”

The prince shook his head. “Again, I understand. This is a trying time.”

“What you offered me is more than I have any right to expect. And you’re right – I don’t know who I am. I don’t know what I know how to do. I don’t even know if I could survive on my own. So…I would like to accept your offer, if you’re still willing.”

Justin seemed taken aback. “You would marry me?”

She held up a hand, trying to forestall the excitement she saw rising in his face. “If I fall in love you with before we reach Fahra, you will announce our engagement. Those were your words, correct?” Rosalie waited until he nodded before continuing. “Good. If I do, we will proceed as discussed. Otherwise, you drop me off in Fahra and leave me to make my own way. Does that sound fair?”

“More than fair,” Justin replied, beaming. “Thank you, m’lady!”

Rosalie shook her head, a little amused by his glee. “And no more calling me m’lady. If I am a princess, then we are of equal rank, so you should call me by my name…assuming I’m remembering my etiquette correctly. Besides, maybe then I’ll get used to hearing it.” She thought she saw Elliot smile faintly at her quip as he headed towards them, having set up the tent near the treeline.

Justin laughed at her comment. “Rosalie it is, then. Or do you prefer Rose?”

She shook her head vehemently, unsure as to why the name seemed so wrong to her. The frown Elliot now bore told her he shared her sentiments, though she couldn’t imagine why. “Just Rosalie, please.”

Justin nodded, seeming confused at her insistence. Elliot cleared his throat, drawing the prince’s attention to him. “The Queen is named Rose,” he explained quietly.

Rosalie blinked, realizing that she had not even known her own mother’s name. The realization left her with a hollow feeling inside. She waited as Justin excused himself and went to check on their campsite before approaching Elliot. “Please,” she said quietly. “My father – what was his name?”

There was sympathy on Elliot’s face as he looked at her. “Phillip,” he replied softly. She nodded, and was thankful when he turned without another word and left her to her thoughts.

…

The evening was pleasant, with only a slight chill creeping in after the sun had set. When Rosalie approached the camp she found that a blazing fire had been lit close to the tent, which looked rather spacious to her. Justin and Elliot both had mats set up near the fire. A pot of something that smelled delicious hung from a brace above the flames. The young prince sat on his bedding and gently stirred the pot, replacing the lid when he was done.

Justin gestured for Rosalie to sit on the second mat; seeing that Elliot was nowhere to be seen, she complied. “You can cook?” she asked, surprised.

He laughed. “Not something you expect from a prince, I know, but I love the kitchen. I’m the youngest of seven sons, so my father always let me study whatever I wanted.”

“Well, it smells delicious.” She smiled at him, glad that he was willing to do menial tasks. Could she even cook, she wondered?

“Should be done in a few minutes. We brought enough supplies to last for the journey back, though Elliot has been supplementing our diet with fresh meat.”

“Where is he?” Rosalie asked.

Justin shrugged, gesturing to the woods. “Out keeping watch somewhere. I doubt we’ll see him until he wakes me for my turn; he’s eaten by himself every night we’ve been out here. Keeps to himself, mostly.”

He served her a bowl of the stew, and Rosalie accepted it from him gratefully. The smell of it had reminded her stomach that it had not eaten in thirteen years. She tried to be ladylike in her eating, but judging by the small smile Justin tried to hide behind his own bowl, her efforts were in vain. “He said he’s served your father for several years?” she asked around mouthfuls, hoping to distract the prince with conversation.

“Almost five, now,” he mused. “He’s a good man – somewhat terse, as you’ve undoubtedly noticed, but with a heart of gold beneath the gruff.”

She laughed at the description. “Why is he so stern? And this is delicious, thank you.”

“I’m glad,” he replied. “And I’m not sure. He’s always been fairly quiet, but he’s not normally this uncommunicative. He was in the wars, before coming to my father; he served as a mercenary, if I recall. Battle can make a man withdraw into himself. I’ve seen it with the palace guards. They only truly open up with each other, because no one else understands.”

Rosalie looked into the darkness of the woods, wondering if Elliot could hear them. She turned back to find that Justin had topped off her bowl, winking at her when she noticed. Rosalie blushed, reasonably certain that a lady was not supposed to devour her food. But she was ravenous, and Justin didn’t seem to mind.

The prince looked out into the woods while she finished her bowl of stew. “He’s a good man,” he stated. “My brothers bullied me before Elliot first came to the castle – said I was better with a spoon than with a sword. Elliot showed me how to fight. He trained me outside of my normal hours with the swordsmaster. They couldn’t understand how I was suddenly so much better. But the bullying stopped. I think that generous heart is what made my father accept him into the knights.”

He took her bowl from her when she had finished, putting it aside to be washed in the morning. “We should get some rest,” he said, standing and offering a hand to pull her to her feet. “It’s getting late, and we’ve an early start tomorrow. The tent is set up – please let me know if you need anything else.”

Rosalie thanked him, then thanked him again when he held up the flap that served as the entrance to the tent. “Good night,” she murmured as she ducked inside.

“Good night, Rosalie,” he replied. The flap dropped closed, and Rosalie was relieved to see that the fire provided enough light to glimpse the insides of the tent by. It was simple, but there were blankets on the floor to provide padding with another to go over her, and there were pillows. The tent had enough room to allow her to stretch comfortably, and was tall enough that she barely had to duck inside. She heard Justin settle onto his mat outside and followed his example, lying down and pulling the blanket over her.

Falling asleep was harder. Justin began to snore within minutes of lying down, but Rosalie just lay there, unable to sleep. Perhaps it was because she had slept for so long, or because she had awakened only hours before, but her body seemed unwilling to fall back into the darkness slumber offered.

She was still awake several hours later, so she heard Elliot approach the campfire. He settled onto his mat. She was surprised that he didn’t wake Justin for his turn at keeping guard. The fire had died down to just embers, leading her to believe that the watch was half done. Elliot just sat there, not waking his counterpart. After a few minutes she smiled in the dark, realizing that he was letting the prince snag an extra hour or two of sleep.

“He’s a good man,” she remembered Justin’s words. She rather thought she agreed with the prince.

Elliot was still sitting watch when she finally drifted off.

…

The boy was with her – he was always with her during their free time, much to the chagrin of their tutors. She smiled as he met her at the bottom of the stairs, both of them dressed in casual clothes they kept specifically for exploring. They had learned early on that trouble would come if their good clothes showed up dirty or torn.

“Ready?” he asked, his white smile a sharp contrast to his tanned skin.

“Ready!” she agreed, beaming back at him.

He looked slightly askance at the basket she carried, but nonetheless fell into step with her as they headed for the woods. “What’s that for?” he asked.

“Father’s started me learning from an herbalist,” she replied. “I thought if I brought some different plants back from the wood, I could say this was for educational purposes.”

The boy threw back his head and laughed. “You’ll still get in trouble if they find out where you got the plants.”

She shrugged. “Then I’ll keep the plants for my personal collection. I’m twelve and I’ve never been outside the castle grounds. I want that to change, and the wood is right here to explore.”

“You’re not worried?” he asked as they entered the tree line. “Or scared?”

She stopped, looking at him sideways. “Why would I be scared?”

The boy shook his head, amused. “You wouldn’t be, would you. I just don’t want you to get into trouble.”

She laughed. “I’ll make you a deal – I’ll tell you what plants not to touch if you protect me from any vicious animals we may find. That should keep us out of trouble. And when we get back, we tell them we were climbing trees in the courtyard again.”

He chuckled again, his green eyes catching the light that filtered in through the trees. “You see, Sally, this is why I like you!”

Together they headed into the woods, the boy whistling a jaunty tune as they lost themselves amongst the trees.

I hope you guys enjoyed the sneak peek!  Next week I'll be returning to my series of posts on fairy tales without dead moms (or evil stepmothers).  Keep an eye out for an announcement about the release of Sleeping Love!