Exceprt: The Wedding of the Princess-King

Here's a brief excerpt from the title story in my new collection, due out in just a few days!

She burst from an alley, panting in an empty courtyard, facing a gate of the walled city, a gate sized for a wagon, she leaned upon it, forced it open, and saw a vision of sanctuary, a field with forest beyond. She ran. Running now on open ground, the king’s charger came fast on the princess who, falling, became an oak, mighty, now towering above the pastureland.

The king and his steed leapt upon the oak, and as an eight-legged bear, made for the crown. Licking his chops, the bear-king bellowed, and bit at acorns, ready to make a meal of the princess-oak, who shook in the winds and, changing again, blew into the forest on swarming locust wings, and leaving the bear unsupported, tumbling to the ground. The bear, unstoppable, ran through the ancient forest, eight paws tearing at the trail of leafless limbs and fern stems scoured to stubbled ground by the cloud of princess-locust.

As with my previous collection, "The World is Bigger than an Ell," this collection will be available through Smashwords, and your favorite e-book retailers. The file is with Smashwords now, grinding through the review and distribution process.