Exclusive excerpt from YA fantasy romance Jester by Brielle D. Porter
What happens in Oasis, stays in Oasis.
Lisette’s father killed the King. His execution leaves Lisette alone, disgraced, and without the magic he intended to pass on to her. In Oasis, that’s a problem. Glutted with enchanted performers, Oasis is a sin city where courtiers pay in gold to drink, gamble, and above all, be entertained. To survive on its competitive streets, Lisette peddles paltry illusions in place of magic.
Desperate to prove herself, Lisette enters into a deadly competition to be chosen as the highest-ranked magician in the world, the Queen’s Jester. But her rival, the irritatingly handsome Luc, possesses the one thing Lisette does not―real magic. Lisette will do anything to win, but when evidence implicating the Queen in her husband’s murder surfaces, Lisette must choose between redeeming her family name, or seizing the fame she’s hungered for her entire life.
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Exclusive Excerpt from Jester
Luc.
Long blond hair swept into a knot on top of his head and with a jawline that could cut glass, Luc is one of the most popular acts on the Noose, besides my own. Even with his face arranged in an arrogant sneer, he’s still irritatingly handsome. A simple flourish of his long red coat sparks deafening applause. The crowds love him and he knows it. His gaze sweeps the crowd greedily, sucking in the cheers as though they physically sustain him. I know the feeling well.
I jolt when his eyes land on me, pick me out in the crowd. I want to shrink, to disappear, the same caught feeling as a mouse in the gaze of a hawk.
“Can I have a volunteer, please?”
The hand of every eligible woman in the crowd shoots up. He grins, cocky, surveying the desperate volunteers. He raises an eyebrow at me, intention clear. I cross my arms, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. With a disappointed shake of his head so slight I could’ve imagined it, he selects a different young woman.
Even from where I stand near the back of the crowd, it’s obvious she is heartbreakingly lovely and fantastically wealthy. Luc’s smile broadens as he helps her onstage. Flowing blonde hair, full lips, flushed cheeks, and a garnet necklace like a collar of blood against her pale throat. I roll my eyes. Luc definitely has a type.
He takes her hand gently and leans in to whisper something in her ear. She titters, cheeks rosy. She’s clearly enraptured, unaware of the fate that awaits her, a butterfly in a web.
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About Brielle D. Porter
Brielle D. Porter decided to become a writer after a well-meaning elementary school teacher told her she had a gift for it. Stolen moments under the covers reading anything from Harry Potter to William Goldman solidified the desire to tell stories herself one day. Jester is her debut novel.
Brielle lives with her husband and three sons on a lavender farm in Northern Idaho. When she’s not writing, she can be found running and beekeeping. Only ask her about her hobbies if you have plenty of time to spare.
Giveaway
The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.
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July’s Author Discovery Project book was EcoQueen by Joanna Measer Kanow.
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I love the cover art, synopsis and excerpt, Jester sounds like a must read for my teen-aged granddaughters and I. Thank you for sharing your bio and book details
I love the cover and excerpt.
I love the cover and think the book sounds very good.
Great excerpt and giveaway. 🙂
I like the cover, looks nice
the cover reminds me of alice in wonderland so obvi im excited for it