The incredible debut fantasy novel from author, Sharon Skinner.
Orphaned by war, haunted by unknown origins, and chased by a warlord and his army of brutal soldiers, KIRA is a young woman with a secret. She can psychically communicate with animals. She is also on the run from her abusive mate Toril, the hero turned warlord, who led the country's forces to victory against the outland raiders.
Only that was before his love of power consumed him. Now, his only focus is on tracking down Kira and making her punishment an example of his power.
The quest for freedom isn't the only struggle Kira faces. She must also come to terms with her past choices, whose echoes drive her present. Now, the future of the land and people she has come to love depends on the decisions she will be forced to make.
Author Sharon Skinner takes us on an extraordinary and emotional journey, where survival is about more than life and death, and healing takes more than medicine. The Healer's Legacy is an unforgettable story and a captivating reading experience.
THE HEALER'S LEGACY YA/Crossover Fantasy
Excerpt
Too soon, she heard the change in the cries of the men. Their yells, no longer those of encouragement, became bellowed curses. Kira peered ahead, straining to catch sight of the main road. Trad's hooves beat a loud tattoo against the hard dirt, but she could hear the noise of pursuit rising in the distance.
The sound of the pursuing horses grew to a low thunder as she and Trad burst onto the main road. She leaned low over Trad's neck as the big horse veered right and lengthened his stride. The shouting of the men grew louder. Their curses carried through the woods, echoing between the trees.
Kira urged Trad to quicken his pace. They had to put more distance between them and Toril's men. At the sound of hooves behind her, she glanced back. Through the deepening shadows she saw movement. One of the men charged onto the main road, his horse a dark shadow moving beneath him. An arrow whizzed past, low and to the left. She sucked in her breath and hunched down in the saddle, squeezing tightly with her knees as Trad's speed increased.
About Sharon Skinner
"I tend to come at difficult subject matter from a subtle direction, using fiction to delve into things that are often difficult to discuss rationally. In addition to the challenges of their often-heroic journeys, my characters deal with real-world issues like difficult relationships, dark secrets, prejudice, death, domestic abuse, questioning authority, and self-acceptance. I purposely avoid being preachy or didactic and I like to salt a bit of humor and mischievous fun into the mix."
Skinner, Sharon: - Sharon moved to Arizona in 1981 after a four-year stint in the U.S. Navy where she learned electronics and traveled halfway around the world on the U.S.S. Jason, a repair ship and the first Naval vessel to take a contingency of women on a full six-month WestPac cruise. During her tour, she was the first enlisted female to stand shore patrol in the Philippines and, as the Saturday morning FM Rock Jock, served as the first female DJ to be heard on the Armed Forces Radio Station airwaves issuing from the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Sharon Skinner holds an M.A. in Creative Writing. Her work has been published in a number of local, national and international publications. She previously served for eight years as the Executive Editor of Anthology magazine, a small press literary magazine published in Mesa, Arizona. Sharon is an active member of SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) and serves as the Assistant Regional Advisor for SCBWI AZ. Sharon is published by Brick Cave Books and Sterling Publishing.
