About the Book
Title: The Monster of Selkirk Book 1: The Duality of Nature
Author: C.E. Clayton
Genre: Fantasy
Monsters come in many
forms, and not everyone knows a monster when they see one. After three hundred
years of monstrous, feral elves plaguing the island nation of Selkirk, everyone
believes they know what a monster is. Humans have learned to live with their
savage neighbors, enacting a Clearing every four years to push the elves back
from their borders. The system has worked for centuries, until after one such
purge, a babe was found in the forest.
As Tallis grows, she discovers she isn’t like everyone else. There is something a little different that makes people leery in her presence, and she only ever makes a handful of friends. But when the elves gather their forces and emerge from the forests literally hissing Tallis’s name like a battle mantra, making friends is the least of her troubles. Tallis and her companions find themselves on an unwilling journey to not only clear her name, but to stop the elves from ravaging her homeland.
As Tallis grows, she discovers she isn’t like everyone else. There is something a little different that makes people leery in her presence, and she only ever makes a handful of friends. But when the elves gather their forces and emerge from the forests literally hissing Tallis’s name like a battle mantra, making friends is the least of her troubles. Tallis and her companions find themselves on an unwilling journey to not only clear her name, but to stop the elves from ravaging her homeland.
Author Bio
C. E. Clayton was born and raised in the greater Los
Angeles area, where she attended the University of Southern California (Fight
On!) for both her Bachelors and Masters, and then worked in the advertising
industry for several years on accounts ranging from fast food, to cars, and
video games (her personal favorite). After going the traditional career route
and becoming restless, she went back to her first love—writing—and hasn’t
stopped. She is now the author of “The Monster of Selkirk” series and her
horror short stories have appeared in anthologies across the country. When
she’s not writing you can find her treating her fur-babies like humans,
constantly drinking tea, and trying to convince her husband to go to more
concerts. And reading. She does read quite a bit. More about C.E. Clayton,
including her blog, book reviews, social media presence, and newsletter, can be
found on her website: https://www.ceclayton.com/
Links
Website: https://www.ceclayton.com/
Book Excerpts
Excerpt
1:
Tallis’s mind was racing as they went. There was
something much bigger than anything they had anticipated at work here. She just
didn’t know what it was. She was holding so many pieces of the puzzle and yet
none of them fit together to make a whole picture, and yet, she was somehow in
the center of it all.
As she walked beside her cousin, weapons at the ready,
she whispered, “Why haven’t we come across more elves?”
Donovan gave her a strange look. “What? The ones we
have come across haven’t been enough for you?”
“But that’s just it,” Tallis added quickly. “We’ve
really only encountered the one and a score of deranged animals. Everyone says
that the forests are crawling with elves when you get this far in, and yet
we’ve seen blessed few. Doesn’t this seem, I don’t know, just a little bit odd
to you?”
Donovan was silent for a long while. Tallis could not
tell if he found her questions annoying because they were silly, or because
they genuinely caused him pause.
Just as Tallis gave up that her cousin would ever respond
to her, he said, “Ever since Aunt Lana died I have said that the elves were
changing in their behavior. For whatever reason, they were going back to old
camp sites and deciding to fight to the death rather than flee like they used
to. For three years I’ve had to listen to my commanding officers and even my
fellow knights tell me I was delusional, and I would be stripped of my position
if I kept harping on about being vigilant against a threat they couldn’t see.
Even you seemed reluctant to believe me when I said that danger was
approaching. But now you see it, the elves are seeping across Selkirk like a
wave that cannot be stopped until it has washed its corruption over everything
we hold dear. I don’t find this behavior odd Tallis, I find it expected.”
Excerpt
2:
Tallis should have been more attentive to watch for
birds or deer, but she could not help but brood and be distracted by her own
thoughts and worries. Thankfully, Donovan could not sleep, either.
Joining his cousin, he gently bumped her shoulder as a
way of greeting.
Tallis glanced at him. “It’s not fair, cousin.”
Donovan nodded. “No, it’s not.”
“I thought that coming out here … I thought I’d
finally have answers and figure out who I was. But now I don’t think I want to
know. I don’t think I’m going to like what we find. I just want to go home and
pretend like none of this happened. I’d even marry Henrik if it meant we could
all just go back to the way it was.”
“Oh, come now, you’d be bored stiff if you married
Henrik and stayed in Kincardine.”
“Maybe, but I didn’t want this.”
“I know, Tally. But the world is not obligated to care
about what you or I want. I’m sorry it happened to you, but, well, if it helps,
I think you’ll be able to handle it. Whatever it is.”
“But I don’t want to handle it. I just want to be
normal.”
“Aye, but being normal is so dull.”
“So what? I’d rather be boring than hated and feared
and treated as an outcast.”
“But this way, we’ll get to be a hero, Tallis. People
would kill for the opportunity to save their country.”
“I don’t want to be their hero. I don't want to be anyone’s hero. I just wanted the chance
to be like everyone else. I wanted someone to protect me just this once. I
don’t need someone to shelter me, but
it’d be nice to be protected all the same. Don’t I deserve it? Strong or not, I
want someone to hold me and tell me it will be all right.”
Donovan draped his arm around his cousin’s shoulder
and gave her a gentle hug. “I know, Tally. And maybe one day you’ll find
someone who will be able to hold you and make you feel safe and secure no
matter what. But for now we have to keep going. We have to keep fighting.”
Tallis gritted her teeth. “Aye, you’re right. Thank
you, Donovan. What would I do without you?”
Donovan chuckled. “Curl in a ball and try and hide,
most likely.”
Tallis rolled her eyes. “Oh, right, I forgot all about
running and hiding. Is that still an option?” They laughed together and passed
the rest of the night in silence.
Excerpt 3:
Tallis realized almost too late that she had
completely outrun Donovan, as her top speed was much faster than that of any
normal person. She found herself standing alone at the end of the street as it
opened up to show the monastery under siege.
Tallis saw herself reflected in the bright, evil eyes
of the elves as they turned to regard her: outlined by the burning homes behind
her, with her matching trident-shaped daggers in her hands. Her white blonde
hair, flowing lightly in the hot breeze, appeared as if it were made of liquid
fire itself. Her eyes like gems that held the ocean within their depths. In
that still heartbeat, Tallis shuddered. She looked like a beautiful terror, and
only Rosslyn and Tomas would be able to tell that she was their salvation and
not the cause of their worst nightmares come to life.
As the elves broke from their momentary stupor, they
ceased their attempts to enter the monastery. Hissing in unison they said,
“Tallissssss,” as they pointed their sharp talons in her direction.
She could hear the faint gasp of the survivors in the
monastery tower as understanding dawned upon them that this was the girl that
was making history: the girl who caused the entire elven race to rise up and
riot across all of Selkirk.
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