In with the editor 'YAY!!"

       I am sorry that I have not gotten on here lately and you have not had the joy of listening to me ramble, but my computer has been down. I had to send it in to Toshiba to get it repaired. I hate sending my computer off for repairs, I so wish they had a person come to me to fix it or that I could take it to my local repair man. Mostly I hate having to reinstall everything that I use. I have everything that is important to me backed up in several places, so I haven't lost anything, but it is a pain to have to find all the programs and reinstall them. That is if I remember all the programs I am using. I guess if I forgot something it must not have been very important.
      I am now back online and excited to say that The Dark Lady is in rounds with the editor and I should be seeing edits within the week. I am looking forward to getting them. It is so much different from the first time I was waiting for edits. I was nervous and not looking forward to changing anything in my story. Now I get excited to get my edits back, to make my story perfect for my reader.
      I will be announcing my 100 Lucky winners in The Dark Lady Celebration Giveaway in Early 2013, as soon as I have an approved cover and know my release date. Please stop by http://dawnchandler.net/giveaway.html and read the first three chapters and sign up for your chance to be one of the lucky winners.

The Dark Lady

The Dark Lady is a historical romance set in 1100 England during the time of the dark and dangerous knights. It is a turbulent time of upheaval and strife. During this time a young female child is born to a loving and doting father and a jealous, spiteful mother. Angered because her arranged marriage was not to the man she loved and jealous of the way her husband doted over and spoiled their little girl she sought revenge. Stealing away in the middle of the night with the man she loved she took the one year old girl with her. In order to keep the baby hidden she lied to the child and everyone around her. She told everyone the child was a boy, and when Vanessa was old enough to question it she explained to her that her father wanted her dead. That she had been born a girl and her father had wanted to kill her because he had wanted a son. She told Vanessa that she had stolen her away the very night she was born and had hid her for her own protection. She told her daughter that she must pretend to be a boy and never go to her father for if she didn't do as she was told he would find her and kill her. Vanessa become Van very successfully and excelled at the art of sword play and is chosen to go to Grayweist Castle for page training where she fights her way to the top of the group and becomes a squire.

Excerpt from Chapter 2

The beautiful meadow where they had first taken camp was now a ransacked and demolished mess of torn up grass and flowers. Ruts and deep holes from the warriors and their horses made walking on trembling legs difficult for Peter.

      Out in front of all the men, the King’s man blew once again on the horn. All stopped to look at the men standing with the King. Peter allowed his two good friends to sit him on a low boulder, in the warm sun. When all of Peter’s men as well as the men the King had brought were circled around them, the King motioned to Van.

      The King’s face held a serious expression as he addressed the brave boy. “Van Burgess, will you please stand before me.” Van approached the King on shaky legs, head bowed. He appeared nervous and that surprised Peter. Why was this arrogant and self-assured boy so nervous around the King? Why was he so reluctant to be questioned or to be the center of attention? It almost appeared to Peter that the boy was hiding something. Peter took a deep breath deciding that more than likely the boy was just unaccustomed to all the fuss.

      Peter’s head was beginning to ache and he knew it would soon be a blaring headache. He took deep breaths and concentrated on the King and Van and tried to ignore the throb that was becoming insistent. The King never took his eyes from the boy as his loud voice boomed across the torn up field. The bellowing voice tore through Peter’s head like a stampede of sheep. Prodding and gouging as they ripped through the soft tissue of his mind. 

      “All who have gathered here will be witness to great deeds today.” Van jerked his face up to the king’s in surprise, “Van Burgess, for your bravery on the field of battle. For your selfless act to save another, with no regards to your safety or to personal gain. For your personal stand to protect your beliefs in the face of opposition I am here to acknowledge you. Kneel.”

      Van dropped to one knee and bowed his head. Between the black clothes and the deep black hair the boy looked like a small dark boulder. The King pulled a sword from the scabbard at his belt. The shiny metal of the newly forged sword touched each of Van’s shoulders as the King said the words that made him a knight.

      Peter’s pride swelled within him as he listened to the familiar words. Richard cleared his throat beside him and Peter caught sight of the pride and emotion in his face. With a grin Peter watched the King speak the final words of the creed. “Now rise. Rise as Sir Burgess. The Dark Knight.”