Edge of the Sword

When a battle-hardened warrior falls for a beautiful landowner, he finds change does not come easily. Neither do second chances.Darius is a seasoned soldier serving as general of his brother's army. Tensions between Berush and the neighboring countries of Artylia and Cerecia are high. War looms on the horizon. Renowned for his skill as a swordsman and leader in battle, Darius vows to protect his country and wreak vengeance on its enemies, but the toll is heavy. Violent dreams torment him at night, and a red haze of anger often clouds his judgment.Concerned for his brother's well-being, King Cyrus sends Darius on a diplomatic assignment, but the warrior prince is not used to peaceful missions. He is used to getting his own way, usually at the point of a sword. Supporting his brother and keeping his people safe, whatever the cost, are his only priorities. Love is certainly not on his agenda, until he meets Lady Eemya--a beautiful, confident woman with a will to match his own.Darius quickly realizes what he wants cannot be taken, it can only be given. Can he convince this genteel, Artylian landholder that he is more than the wild animal he seems? To do so, he must look deep into his own heart, confront the darkness he has allowed to fester there, and find that his worst enemy is himself. But will Darius be able to defeat what torments him and win Eemya's heart at the same time? loved the illustrations. I would pick that book out every time, so my teacher finally removed it from the shelf to force me to expand my horizons. Now I have my own copy.Another book that influenced me very early on was Richard Scarry's Busy, Busy World. It told a story of two creative painters who painted a mural of a large sun inside someone's house. I thought the idea was genius, so I drew a large sunshine on my wall with crayon. It was scrubbed off, but I continued to have a desire to express myself artistically.In middle school, I enjoyed writing, and my English teacher told me I would write a book someday. I loved to read, sometimes reading late into the night. When I was not reading, I was making up stories in my head for my own amusement, but I never wrote them down. I was more interested in drawing and painting than writing. I have since painted numerous works of art, including some very large outdoor murals. You can see some of them if you do an internet search of Paint by Amber.Over the years, I have had a lot of trouble with insomnia. I had heard that if you write down your ideas, it will help you to be able to go to sleep. That didn't help, but I did end up writing some complete novels. Recently, I was diagnosed with narcolepsy, and understanding my sleep patterns, along with scheduling at least one nap during the day, has greatly improved my quality of life. The line between dreaming and wakefulness for me is sometimes blurred, and some of my ideas come straight from my dreams. Others are worked out while I'm lying in bed unable to sleep. It was fun to type them out, and I am planning to continue writing. My goal as an author is to write the type of books that I would like to read. My favorite genre is fantasy fiction, and I read and write books that tackle difficult issues but resolve themselves into a happy ending. I hope you enjoy my stories and characters as much as I do. If you search my name and the word 'author,' you should be able to find my social media site. I look forward to hearing from you!