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Do you know what your problem is?
Olivine knows hers. This quiet thirteenth-century artist has been hiding a secret as she travels to K'ba to meet her friends. Others assume she's fallen in love with another artist, but it's much worse than that. For on the way to K'ba is the dirt poor nichna of Scrud, a place scorned by other Ilarians. And in Scrud is the one man who understands her.
However, Bohdan recognizes the dangers posed by an impending Mongol invasion. When he learns of Olivine's unusual visual powers, he convinces her to pick up her bow and start practicing.
She does, though she's more concerned with moving to K'ba where she can paint all day and see Bohdan whenever she wants. If only her sister hadn't decided Olivine and her fellow long eyes held one key to defending the realm.
Then, as if life wasn't complicated enough, Olivine learns the artist community she yearns to be part of has developed a different take on the invasion. They're sure the only way to survive is to capitulate completely to the Mongols’ demands. Artists who feel otherwise are no longer welcome.
Where does her future lie? The invasion is coming soon and Olivine doesn't have much time to decide.
Read an Exclusive Excerpt
My mother and I sat at our dining table, polishing the eating utensils. As I told her of my change in plans, she laid down her cloth and looked at me.
“Remember, it’s just as easy to fall in love with a prince,” she said.
I dropped a spoon on the floor.
“You’ve been saying that to me since I was six. What if I don’t want a prince?”
“Oh, don’t be so defensive. I’d think a young woman like you would want a husband with all the means possible.”
“What do you mean like me?”
“You know. One who wants to paint. You must realize the arts are the prerogative of women with rich husbands. Anything less than a house full of servants, and you’ll be too busy with your chores to have a hobby.”
Did she suspect I planned to live on my own?
“You spend a lot of time over in K’ba,” she said with a knowing smile. “I understand the place is full of free spirits who probably appeal to you, but think twice. An artist husband won’t give you the life you want. He’ll expect you to take care of him while he paints.”
No. She suspected I’d fallen in love with another artist.
“There’s nothing wrong with trying out possibilities, dear. That’s what being a tidzy is for. But you’re outgrowing your time. Consider being more friendly. I’m told the boys here thought you didn’t like them because you kept to yourself so much as you grew up.”
“I liked the boys fine, Mom. They were all busy paying attention to Celestine. She saved me from a lot of stupid conversations.”
“Well, there aren’t many men who can give you the future you want. Remember that.”
She had no idea of the future I wanted, and it was probably best kept that way.
About the Author:
She’s made a lot of stops along the way to writing these novels. She’s lived in seven cities, visited forty-six countries, and worked as a waitress, technical writer, and geophysicist. Now she answers a hot-line. Along the way, she’s lost several cats but acquired a husband who still loves her and three kids who’ve grown up just fine, both despite how odd she is.
All her life she has wanted to either tell these kinds of stories or be Chief Science Officer on the Starship Enterprise. She now lives and writes in the mountains of Western North Carolina, where she admits to occasionally checking her phone for a message from Captain Picard, just in case.
Author Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cinnabar01
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/46Ascending
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s.r.cronin/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5805814.Sherrie_Cronin
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sherrie-Cronin/e/B007FRMO9Q
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/s-r-cronin
Author Blog: https://sherriecronin.xyz/
Book Series Blog: https://troublesome7sisters.xyz/
Buy Link:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Doesnt-Stories-Seven-Troublesome-Sisters-ebook/dp/B09128H2YJ
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shes-the-one-who-doesnt-say-much-s-r-cronin/1139107112
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