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When the princess becomes a warrior, nothing stands in her way.
When Elle is presented with every orphan's dream, finding out she's actually a princess, she isn't sure if she should join the hulking sexy man, Locan, on a spaceship ride, or run screaming from the room because he's obviously nuts. If it weren't for the strange things she'd recently encountered, like suddenly gaining star shaped birthmarks and a bracelet that once belonged to her mother lighting up with an eerie green light, she would be out of there already. She has enough questions she wants answered to stay and find out, taking his hand and embarking on a journey across the darkness of space. He says she needs to save their people from her evil uncle. She wants to know where she comes from, who her mother was, and why she never fit in on earth. The path to their home planet isn't without its bumps. Saving aliens, and earthlings while evading her uncle's men and dodging the pushy goddesses who want to tell them all what to do. Elle has to learn who she really wants to be and to help Locan become the warrior he was meant to be. Can she be what the rebels need? Can Locan trust the beast that lives inside of him? Will the people of Prias once again have a princess on the throne to rule their utopian society? |
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Courtney Davis is an author of urban fantasy, paranormal, supernatural fiction with a little romance and humor thrown in. She loves creating worlds and exploring human, and inhuman, interaction. She lives in North Idaho with her husband and children where she teaches and enjoys time spent relaxing in the summer sun and winters by the fire. She has always had an affinity for reading and writing and a goal to make a career of it. There is no greater joy than to know her words took a reader out of reality for a time and into another world.
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Enjoy an excerpt from Princess of Prias
Elle smoothed lotion over her body. As always, her fingers were drawn to her birthmark and lingered there for a moment. A small blue star high on her right arm, it was about the size of a nickel and slightly raised. She had always liked the odd thing and it gave her a kind of comfort to touch it, almost as if it grounded her in her body and out of her head, which is where she spent so much of her life.
She had never seen a birthmark like hers on another person and every doctor she’d ever asked about it, said that although it was something they had never encountered before, it was nothing to worry about; it wasn’t cancerous. Like the white streak of hair at her right temple and her deep purple eyes, it was just something about her that was different. She liked to blame these things for why she never found herself surrounded by large groups of great friends, but that was also a side effect of spending too much time in one’s own head.
Of course, it didn’t help that she was shy. Having been raised in the deep woods of North Idaho by her loving, yet admittedly crazy, Aunt Sara, hadn’t exactly prepared her for a social life. She hadn’t spent much time with anyone her age until she was old enough to legally drive herself into the tiny town of Bonners Ferry, and even then, it wasn’t as if she’d had friends to hang out with. Most of her outings had consisted of a stop at the store and the library; not that there was much else to do in the town. She was home-schooled by her aunt and did as much learning on her own as possible. Books had been her only way of getting outside her safe little world in the woods and she’d lost herself in many. At the age of seventeen she’d made the terrifying decision to leave the safety of her home and go to the closest community college in Coeur d’Alene.
That was ten years ago, now she was Dr. Elle Monroe, Ob-gyn, once again living in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Her roommate, Katherine, was her best friend. They’d met in college her first year, and Katherine had taken an instant liking to the awkward girl, making it her hobby to get Elle out of her shell. It had worked a bit, but if she were being honest, Elle knew she was only slightly less awkward than she’d been as a child.
Elle slipped on her t-shirt and running shoes. She would go out to the lake and run off the stress of her day, then return and get ready for her Friday night, which usually consisted of take out and a romance novel, sometimes a movie with Katherine. Tonight however, she had a date with Ryan, an anesthesiologist she often worked with in the delivery room. He had been asking her out since the day they met, and in a moment of insanity, she’d accepted. She was seriously regretting it now and wondering if she could cancel without making work with him awkward from here on out. Of course, a bad date would make things even more awkward in the delivery room, not that the date was going to make things between them terribly comfortable.
It wasn’t that he was unattractive, quite the opposite actually, he had shaggy black hair and dark skin, kind brown eyes and a quick smile filled with white teeth. All the nurses were in love with him and envied her chance at a date. The problem was, Elle didn’t really date anyone. She had just never enjoyed the embarrassing ritual. Awkward dinner trying to make conversation, uncomfortable dark movie theater where he tried to hold your hand or touch your leg without breaking his gaze from the movie that no one is actually paying attention to. Then there was the kiss goodnight, which was by far the worst part, fumbling, bumbling, wet kisses full of grabby hands and bad breath. Rarely did she have a second date, which meant her sex life was nonexistent. She wasn’t still a virgin at twenty-seven, but her partners had been few and far between, and utterly forgettable. It had always felt like something was missing, like they just weren’t doing it right. Not that she really thought that; she was a doctor, and her job was mostly helping women through pregnancy and delivering babies, she knew the mechanics of how they were made.
Not for the first time, she wondered if it was her. Maybe she was just one of those people who didn’t enjoy sex. Except that she was perfectly capable of having a good time by herself, it’s just that including anyone else in the situation felt dull and disappointing. Katherine was convinced it was Elle’s choice in past partners, Elle couldn’t deny that was a real possibility, although the admission still didn’t leave her eager to try again.
She just didn’t see the appeal of repeating the process very often. But every once in a while, she was so distracted by a pretty face and strong arms that she forgot how dreadful the experience was bound to be. Elle pulled her dark red hair into a ponytail that hung down to her shoulder blades and told herself that she had to give Ryan the benefit of the doubt. I can’t judge him based on my past experiences, blah-blah-blah. She repeated the mantra Katherine tried drilling in her head on a regular basis, but it didn’t make her feel any more optimistic. Quite the opposite actually; it made her think of all her past experiences and how terrible it was going to be to work with Ryan after this failed attempt at romance.
“I hope you don’t plan on wearing that for your date with Doc Hottie.” Katherine was leaning against the doorjamb of Elle’s room, still in her scrubs from work, eating low-fat yogurt with an amused look on her face. Katherine was constantly on a diet, even though she was a nurse and knew how unhealthy that was. She just couldn’t accept the ample curves God had given her to go along with her short black hair and big blue eyes. She was cute and energetic; just not much fun when that energy was focused in Elle’s business.
“I’m going for a run before my, uh…”
“Date?” Katherine supplied around a mouthful of yogurt.
“It’s not a date, not really. We are just friends getting together for a meal, that’s all.” Elle pushed past Katherine and rushed out of the apartment before any more could be said. Katherine tended to make a big deal about this sort of thing, and Elle definitely did not need that kind of pressure.
The afternoon was warm, the lake was beautiful, and by the time Elle was back at her car, she was feeling slightly better about her date. Ryan really was a genuinely nice guy, always a gentleman at work, and attractive. There was no reason to not expect to have a good time; except that her past experiences had conditioned her to expect otherwise.
Elle arrived back at the apartment with plenty of time to get ready. Katherine and her boyfriend, James, were cuddled up on the couch.
“Hey James.” James played guitar in a band and tonight he was dressed for a show. All leather and studs, his electric blue hair spiking out all over his head and lots of eye makeup, obviously a Katherine job. “Where are The Lights playing tonight?”
“Sherman Park, you going to come watch?”
“James, I told you, Elle has a date tonight,” Katherine said, whacking him playfully on the arm.
“Oh yeah, some Dr. Dude, I remember. Well, bring him by. If he’s cool, he’ll like it.”
“Oh yes, I will definitely be judging his coolness by how appreciative he is of your music.” Elle laughed, she almost wished she didn’t have a date tonight, she really did like going to James’ concerts. The loud music made it impossible to think and she was always exhausted afterwards and able to sleep dreamlessly. It was a great wind-down after a busy work week.
Elle retreated to her bedroom and got ready for her date. They were going to get some sushi and then head to the local playhouse. A simple but nice evening. One thing she appreciated about Ryan was that he wasn’t pretentious. Most doctors were so full of themselves that Elle had never even been tempted to date one.
Elle dressed in a knee length, white, peasant skirt and a yellow, three-quarter sleeve top with a neckline plunging just enough to show off some of her C cup. She braided her hair to the right side, hiding her white streak, and strapped on white sandals. She spun in the mirror and was satisfied enough; casual, cute, not overly sexy, and certainly not trying too hard.
She was just about to leave her room when her cell rang.
She couldn’t think of any of her patients that were in danger of going into labor tonight, of course that didn’t mean none would. In her experience, it was never an impossibility. She really didn’t want to cancel her date, not after she had spent so much time talking herself into keeping it. She crossed her fingers and picked up the phone. It was a Bonners Ferry number, and not one she recognized.
“Hello, this is Dr. Monroe.”
“Hello Doctor, this is Shelly Traips down at Boundary Community Hospital. Your aunt, Sara Monroe, was brought in this afternoon.”
Elle’s heart shuddered to a momentary halt at the news. “What happened?”
“We think it was a heart attack, I’m sorry Doctor Monroe. Your aunt didn’t make it.”
Elle let the phone slip from her shaking hand and drop to the floor, her body quickly followed, crumpling with a deep sob.
Elle smoothed lotion over her body. As always, her fingers were drawn to her birthmark and lingered there for a moment. A small blue star high on her right arm, it was about the size of a nickel and slightly raised. She had always liked the odd thing and it gave her a kind of comfort to touch it, almost as if it grounded her in her body and out of her head, which is where she spent so much of her life.
She had never seen a birthmark like hers on another person and every doctor she’d ever asked about it, said that although it was something they had never encountered before, it was nothing to worry about; it wasn’t cancerous. Like the white streak of hair at her right temple and her deep purple eyes, it was just something about her that was different. She liked to blame these things for why she never found herself surrounded by large groups of great friends, but that was also a side effect of spending too much time in one’s own head.
Of course, it didn’t help that she was shy. Having been raised in the deep woods of North Idaho by her loving, yet admittedly crazy, Aunt Sara, hadn’t exactly prepared her for a social life. She hadn’t spent much time with anyone her age until she was old enough to legally drive herself into the tiny town of Bonners Ferry, and even then, it wasn’t as if she’d had friends to hang out with. Most of her outings had consisted of a stop at the store and the library; not that there was much else to do in the town. She was home-schooled by her aunt and did as much learning on her own as possible. Books had been her only way of getting outside her safe little world in the woods and she’d lost herself in many. At the age of seventeen she’d made the terrifying decision to leave the safety of her home and go to the closest community college in Coeur d’Alene.
That was ten years ago, now she was Dr. Elle Monroe, Ob-gyn, once again living in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Her roommate, Katherine, was her best friend. They’d met in college her first year, and Katherine had taken an instant liking to the awkward girl, making it her hobby to get Elle out of her shell. It had worked a bit, but if she were being honest, Elle knew she was only slightly less awkward than she’d been as a child.
Elle slipped on her t-shirt and running shoes. She would go out to the lake and run off the stress of her day, then return and get ready for her Friday night, which usually consisted of take out and a romance novel, sometimes a movie with Katherine. Tonight however, she had a date with Ryan, an anesthesiologist she often worked with in the delivery room. He had been asking her out since the day they met, and in a moment of insanity, she’d accepted. She was seriously regretting it now and wondering if she could cancel without making work with him awkward from here on out. Of course, a bad date would make things even more awkward in the delivery room, not that the date was going to make things between them terribly comfortable.
It wasn’t that he was unattractive, quite the opposite actually, he had shaggy black hair and dark skin, kind brown eyes and a quick smile filled with white teeth. All the nurses were in love with him and envied her chance at a date. The problem was, Elle didn’t really date anyone. She had just never enjoyed the embarrassing ritual. Awkward dinner trying to make conversation, uncomfortable dark movie theater where he tried to hold your hand or touch your leg without breaking his gaze from the movie that no one is actually paying attention to. Then there was the kiss goodnight, which was by far the worst part, fumbling, bumbling, wet kisses full of grabby hands and bad breath. Rarely did she have a second date, which meant her sex life was nonexistent. She wasn’t still a virgin at twenty-seven, but her partners had been few and far between, and utterly forgettable. It had always felt like something was missing, like they just weren’t doing it right. Not that she really thought that; she was a doctor, and her job was mostly helping women through pregnancy and delivering babies, she knew the mechanics of how they were made.
Not for the first time, she wondered if it was her. Maybe she was just one of those people who didn’t enjoy sex. Except that she was perfectly capable of having a good time by herself, it’s just that including anyone else in the situation felt dull and disappointing. Katherine was convinced it was Elle’s choice in past partners, Elle couldn’t deny that was a real possibility, although the admission still didn’t leave her eager to try again.
She just didn’t see the appeal of repeating the process very often. But every once in a while, she was so distracted by a pretty face and strong arms that she forgot how dreadful the experience was bound to be. Elle pulled her dark red hair into a ponytail that hung down to her shoulder blades and told herself that she had to give Ryan the benefit of the doubt. I can’t judge him based on my past experiences, blah-blah-blah. She repeated the mantra Katherine tried drilling in her head on a regular basis, but it didn’t make her feel any more optimistic. Quite the opposite actually; it made her think of all her past experiences and how terrible it was going to be to work with Ryan after this failed attempt at romance.
“I hope you don’t plan on wearing that for your date with Doc Hottie.” Katherine was leaning against the doorjamb of Elle’s room, still in her scrubs from work, eating low-fat yogurt with an amused look on her face. Katherine was constantly on a diet, even though she was a nurse and knew how unhealthy that was. She just couldn’t accept the ample curves God had given her to go along with her short black hair and big blue eyes. She was cute and energetic; just not much fun when that energy was focused in Elle’s business.
“I’m going for a run before my, uh…”
“Date?” Katherine supplied around a mouthful of yogurt.
“It’s not a date, not really. We are just friends getting together for a meal, that’s all.” Elle pushed past Katherine and rushed out of the apartment before any more could be said. Katherine tended to make a big deal about this sort of thing, and Elle definitely did not need that kind of pressure.
The afternoon was warm, the lake was beautiful, and by the time Elle was back at her car, she was feeling slightly better about her date. Ryan really was a genuinely nice guy, always a gentleman at work, and attractive. There was no reason to not expect to have a good time; except that her past experiences had conditioned her to expect otherwise.
Elle arrived back at the apartment with plenty of time to get ready. Katherine and her boyfriend, James, were cuddled up on the couch.
“Hey James.” James played guitar in a band and tonight he was dressed for a show. All leather and studs, his electric blue hair spiking out all over his head and lots of eye makeup, obviously a Katherine job. “Where are The Lights playing tonight?”
“Sherman Park, you going to come watch?”
“James, I told you, Elle has a date tonight,” Katherine said, whacking him playfully on the arm.
“Oh yeah, some Dr. Dude, I remember. Well, bring him by. If he’s cool, he’ll like it.”
“Oh yes, I will definitely be judging his coolness by how appreciative he is of your music.” Elle laughed, she almost wished she didn’t have a date tonight, she really did like going to James’ concerts. The loud music made it impossible to think and she was always exhausted afterwards and able to sleep dreamlessly. It was a great wind-down after a busy work week.
Elle retreated to her bedroom and got ready for her date. They were going to get some sushi and then head to the local playhouse. A simple but nice evening. One thing she appreciated about Ryan was that he wasn’t pretentious. Most doctors were so full of themselves that Elle had never even been tempted to date one.
Elle dressed in a knee length, white, peasant skirt and a yellow, three-quarter sleeve top with a neckline plunging just enough to show off some of her C cup. She braided her hair to the right side, hiding her white streak, and strapped on white sandals. She spun in the mirror and was satisfied enough; casual, cute, not overly sexy, and certainly not trying too hard.
She was just about to leave her room when her cell rang.
She couldn’t think of any of her patients that were in danger of going into labor tonight, of course that didn’t mean none would. In her experience, it was never an impossibility. She really didn’t want to cancel her date, not after she had spent so much time talking herself into keeping it. She crossed her fingers and picked up the phone. It was a Bonners Ferry number, and not one she recognized.
“Hello, this is Dr. Monroe.”
“Hello Doctor, this is Shelly Traips down at Boundary Community Hospital. Your aunt, Sara Monroe, was brought in this afternoon.”
Elle’s heart shuddered to a momentary halt at the news. “What happened?”
“We think it was a heart attack, I’m sorry Doctor Monroe. Your aunt didn’t make it.”
Elle let the phone slip from her shaking hand and drop to the floor, her body quickly followed, crumpling with a deep sob.
