A Bed of Roses...Thorns Included: Knight of the Dead by Jennifer Gravely Excerpt

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Knight of the Dead by Jennifer Gravely Excerpt - It May Surprise You :)

Today we welcome Jennifer Rae Gravely to A Bed of Roses...Thorns Included. She brings us an excerpt from her book, Knight of the Dead. The title is a play on words, so keep reading all you romance lovers. :)

Born in Ohio but raised in Pickens, SC, Jennifer Rae Gravely graduated from Converse College with a triple major in history, politics, and English before earning her master’s degree in education. Returning to her high school alma mater to teach English and coach volleyball, Gravely’s teams won five state championships and seven upper state titles in eleven years. Both her Astraea Press novels feature the fictional Southern town of Keowee. She lives with her husband, daughter, seven beagles, and one rescued barn cat.

Thanks, Ginger, for inviting me to your beautiful blog. Seeing the roses reminds me of my romantic suspense novel Knight of the Dead, published by Astraea Press. The story features an adorable little girl named Rose, her amazing father Mark, and the beautiful but unlucky heroine Persephone. I teach high school mythology and I adore the story of why we have winter. Using the tale as a springboard, I came up with the idea of the goddess of the dead and her knight. I hope you enjoy this short excerpt from chapter two.

Mark hired Persephone to babysit his four-year old daughter Rose at his office.

When Mark returned to the conference room about three hours later, Rose and Persephone sat at the table drawing. “Daddy, I drew a picture of the different seasons. Miss Purr-So-Funny told me the story about her name.” The child frowned. “I wouldn’t want to be kidnapped.” “Your father would never let that happen.” He patted her head. “I know.” Her smile stretched into a yawn. “It’s time to go home and get to bed. Are you ready?” Rose nodded. “Say good-night to Persephone.” She jumped up and threw her arms around Persephone’s neck. “I can’t wait till tomorrow.” “Me either,” Persephone said. Persephone stood and moved toward her black sweater coat draped over a chair. Mr. Lawrence handed her money and followed her to the front door. “Thank you for helping out with Rose tonight. I hope she wasn’t any trouble.” They stood in front of the flowers and the mirror next to the door. He loved the smell of freshly cut flowers, even in the dead of winter. “Not at all. Goodnight, Mr. Lawrence.” “Please, call me Mark.” He ran his fingers through his hair out of habit. “Will you be okay driving home?” “Yes, Mark.” She smiled, pulling her arms through her sweater coat and tightening the belt around her trim waist. He leaned forward and opened the door for her. The gush of wind brought a hint of lavender to his nose, and he realized it was the smell of her hair. She stepped out to the porch. About a third of the way down the stairs she turned and waved at him. He caught his breath.