Exclusive Excerpt of Glimmer & a Giveaway

As part of Vivi Anna's virtual book tour for her new book Glimmer she has stopped here to offer an exclusive excerpt along with the chance for one lucky reader to win a copy of Glimmer.

Exclusive Excerpt: GLIMMER by Vivi Anna, copyright February 2011

I sprinted down the stairs and out the balcony doors in a panicky rush, praying under my breath that he was still alive. I would never forgive myself if he had died on his own, alone and without help.

As I neared him, I saw fresh angry red scratches on his hands, arms, and face. Fearing the worse, I crouched down and placed my fingers on his neck to feel for a pulse. “Da?”

He groaned and I let the breath I was holding go, mumbling a thank you to the benevolent spirit that had heard my prayer. His pulse was strong under my fingers.

I rolled him onto his back. That was when I saw the four-inch creature licking blood from a tiny cut on my father’s chin. In a flash, its tiny head came up and it hissed at me, its thin lips stained crimson.

However many stories tell about the playful and whimsical nature of pixies, I knew the truth.

There was no whimsy in the creature’s slanted opaque eyes as it glared and spat like a wild cat. I could feel the malevolence wafting off it like steam from a scalding shower.

Games of fancy were not on its mind. Thoughts of blood and pain were definitely more like it by the look of venom on its tiny periwinkle face. Distending its long vicious claws, it leapt.

Luckily, I had quick reflexes and I managed to snag the little creature, arms pinned to its sides, in my fist before it could rip out my eye, which it had definitely been aiming for.

“Letz me go, wicked girl!” it shrieked.

Its voice was high pitched like a bell and inaudible to most people. But I had great hearing and discerned every single syllable it snarled. “Why are you here? How did you get here?”

The pixie struggled in my grip but I had no intention of letting go, not until I received some answers.

“Iz always here, stupidz.”

“I’d watch your little mouth, pest.” I increased the pressure of my grasp. “Why did you attack my father?”

It thrashed about again, trying to release its limbs so it could rip and tear into me. But I didn’t relinquish my hold. Fury lifted its blue lips into a cruel snarl, and I could plainly see two rows of tiny razor-like teeth. I had no time to respond to its intentions before it sunk those fangs into the meaty part of my thumb.

I yelped and nearly opened my hand, but I caught myself before I freed my prisoner. Cringing from the sharp pain singing up my arm, I gritted my teeth and asked my question again. “Why did you attack my father? Answer me or I will squeeze you like a tube of toothpaste.”

As the pixie unhooked its teeth from my flesh and glared, blood trickled down my wrist to drip onto my pants. Its hungry gaze eyed the red path with ruthless enthusiasm. Like a thin black worm, its tongue snaked out of its gaping mouth and lapped at the crimson feast.

Angry, I increased the pressure on its body. True to my word, I squeezed the little bugger like a tube of white goo.

“Stopz! Stopz!” It yelped and thrashed about. “Iz tell you want youz wantz.”

I released the pressure a little. “Go ahead.”

“Nightfallz tell me.”

“Who in Nightfall? What’s the person’s name?”

It shrugged its bony shoulders. “Iz no not.”

My father groaned again and I looked down at his slack face, marred by angry red marks. He was an old man, fragile and innocent. He didn’t deserve this fate. Rage blossomed inside me. I shook with it. Squeezing the pixie hard, I stared into its eyes and spoke low, my voice as cold as brittle ice, “Tell. Me. Who.”

It shook its head back and forth and moaned, “Iz no name. Just hearz a whisper on the windz.”

“What did it say? What were the words?”

I could see the hesitation on its face so I squeezed even harder. Its face darkened to a deep purple as the air left its tiny lungs. After one final struggle, it slumped in my fist and murmured on one of its final puffs of air, “Killz Jason Decker.” ****

This scene is one of my favorites in my book Glimmer. If I had to pick a scene that embodied everything I was trying to convey with my words it would be this one. The mood is one of danger and urgency and even a sense of the mysterious. That is how I pictured Glimmer. It’s a scene like this, for me, that makes all the time and sweat blood and tears I put into writing worth it. I’m very proud of this scene. I’m proud of the book. And I hope that you dear readers enjoy it as much as I did writing it.

Thanks to Roxanne for hosting me today!!

Have you ever read something that just took your breath away, that stuck with you even after you finished the book?

Answer in the comments of this post for your chance to win an ecopy of Glimmer!