2nd Quarter 2025: Storytime Bloghop

My, how time flies. I’ve started revising the third novel in Holly Lisle’s Moon & Sun series and jotted down notes on the fourth one (which should be the last if I don’t go overboard). If you want to follow my progress, sign up for the newsletter.

It’s also time for the quarterly Blog Hop. This time, I’m featuring an up and coming talent: James Clapp. Here’s his story (and remember to read the others tat are linked below):

Priceless Treasure

by James Clapp

Taking cover behind a tree, Nikita surveyed the forest clearing. Two guards ate roasted meat by a campfire. Two more guards defended her target, a caravan with curtains drawn. All four guards wore normal clothes. She’d expected more and better-equipped guards given the note slipped under her inn room door.
“In four days a caravan will travel through Silvervale Forest carrying emeralds amidst plentiful gold.”
Still, only this caravan matched the location and timing.

Nikita threw a rock.
“Huh?” a campfire guard approached.
Nikita sneaked behind him and, in one motion, slit his throat.
‘One down.’
She crept towards the second campfire guard and stabbed him. He screamed before dying.
‘Change of plan.’
Nikita drew another blade.
The remaining guards drew short swords.
Nikita rushed the closest guard, parried his blade with her own and stabbed him in the back, but the final guard slashed her arm.
Gritting her teeth against the pain, Nikita swept the guard’s feet and plunged her blade into his neck. She grabbed bandages from her satchel and tied them around her wounded arm.
‘Master wouldn’t have even been seen,’ she frowned.

Nikita opened the caravan door. Inside she found … four chained women in simple tunics.
‘Slaves? I did all this for slaves?’ She drew the curtains. Sunlight streamed in, revealing … nothing. No emeralds. No gold. No treasure. The note had lied.
“You’re not the bandits,” one of the slaves, a woman with short blond hair, said.
‘Bandits? So, that’s why they didn’t show much resistance.’
“Help us?”, a brunette with messy hair pleaded.
‘Wait. The bandits intended to sell these slaves?’
“Please?”, a brunette with a ponytail said.
‘Whoever sent the note must also be a human trafficker, hoping to make a profit.’
“Mama?”, a teenage girl with long, wavy, blond hair rubbed her green eyes.
‘I’ve found the treasure — these four slaves.’ Nikita’s chest tightened even thinking that. ‘I can’t let them be recaptured.’
Nikita freed the slaves.
“Thank you.”
“Come on, I’ll escort you to Silverbrook.”
They reached Silverbrook without incident, and Nikita bought carriage tickets so the slaves could return home. They would leave tomorrow.

The next morning outside Nikita’s inn room, a blonde woman greeted Nikita. She wore a necklace with an emerald set in gold, which looked valuable.
“Yes, please come in.”
The woman entered.
Nikita grabbed her and pressed her blade against her neck. “I’m not going to give you the slaves. Give me your necklace and leave. Understood?”
The woman followed Nikita’s demands.

Upon awakening, the teenager noticed the necklace.
“That’s mine! Only Mama should have it.”
‘Wait. This girl’s mother sent the note?’
Green eyes. Blond hair. Nikita understood.
She ran out and found the blonde woman. “Sorry, I thought you were a human trafficker, not an innocent.” Nikita gave back the necklace.
Seeing mother and daughter reunited warmed Nikita’s heart, but she still needed money to live.
“Thank you for rescuing me. Here, you’ve earned this.” The teenager gave Nikita the necklace.
“Thanks” Nikita said.

Visit the others:
Ridesharing by Gina Fabio
Knot Safe by Barbara Lund
I’m not Late. Really, I’m not! by Katharina Gerlach
Before Sunrise by Angelica Medlin