I’ve been tagged by friend, colleague and crit partner @donnabarker in the on again/off again 7 x 7 x 7 seven line challenge that goes around writers’ circles. Donna was recently tagged by Amy Sedgemore.

view of the city of York

Since I was just notified last week that my manuscript A Dissimulation of Doves has won first place in the YA/NA category of the Chatelaine Writing Contest for Women’s Fiction and Romance run by Chanticleer Book Reviews, I’ve chosen the excerpt from that book.

Ok. So here goes (btw: it looks like more than 7 lines because of formatting):

I twist out of his grasp impatient with his diplomacy. “Do you have to jump on every bandwagon that rolls into town? Can’t you and I just be our own show sometimes?”

His eyes glower and he shrugs. A huge shrug. A shrug with huge attitude and arrogance. “You want independence, eh? Isn’t dat what you fight with your family about? Dat’s why you come wit’ me, no? But you ‘ang on me like a leach. You can’t do anyt’ing wit’out me. I’m suffocating!”

I suck in a deep breath. My heart thumps, slow and hard, filling my chest, aching. I step back…

Aaand, that’s all folks.

Stay tuned for more info about the Chatelaine prize. I’ll be heading to Bellingham for the Chanticleer Authors Conference September 26-29.

Before then I’ll be putting up a new landing page here with a beautiful new book cover for A Dissimulation of Doves. You’ll be able to sign up for my email list to receive advanced notice of publication of this *ahem* award winning book.

Let me know in the comments section what these seven lines make you think of. What questions arise in your mind? Are you curious to read more of A Dissimulation of Doves?