Pure Innocence
The Extraordinary Life of Amy Winston, Book 1
Words can harm or heal, depending on the speaker.
While Amy hears only kind words from her uncle, and her four protectors, when she goes into town, or when she’s in the same room with servants the words she hears hurt like stones.
The only way those who love her can discover what is wrong is by saying:
“There once was a girl named Amy…”
And Amy will tell those she trust a story of evil witches and trolls.
BLURB
For some, Amy is an angel incarnate; for others, she is the child of Satan. In her early years, Amy learns the skills of a soldier and discovers she can heal with the touch of her hand. Upon the death of her beloved Uncle John, he stays as a protective ghost to assist the soldiers in their vigilant efforts to keep her safe. Never has a girl arrived at Madam Cousec’s School for Young Ladies with more charm, more friends, or greater protection. She’ll need them all to survive the head girl and set her future in motion.
Excerpt
“There once was a little girl named Amy…” Gunter began and then stopped, allowing Amy to take over the story.
“Whose mother some say was a demon. Amy knows this is a lie, but because so many think it is true, they watch Amy all the time, looking for some proof that Amy is a demon as well. Amy is always very careful not to do things that make them lock her up in pantries or in her closet. She stays with people who like her, like her friends Gunter, Tomas, Brick, and Sam, and she only eats sweet breads at Nelle’s house. But one day, a famous priest was supposed to come to the house and Amy’s uncle, who loves her very much, thought she’d be all too likely to want to watch Gunter get better, so he ordered little Amy to be locked up in her room.”
Amy scrunched her face. “The servants saw this as certain proof that Amy was a demon. Why else would the uncle hide the girl from a priest who casts out demons?”
‘“The girl may have bewitched the poor Earl…but, oh no, not them…not them indeed,’ cackled Mrs. Cole.”
“When they locked her in her room, Amy gets scared they plan to kill her. So, she doesn’t eat the food they give her and goes right off to bed. The moment they close the door, little Amy stuffs her pillows beneath the cover so it looks as if she is still there. Then she sneaks out of the window, and climbs down the tree. She runs like a deer into the woods, to Gunter’s house, where she peeks into the window. She cannot see a thing since all of the spirits have crowded in the tiny cabin. But then a nice old spirit finally takes pity on her and helps her through the window and pushes the others until she has enough room to sit down in the corner. While she cannot see Gunter and the priest, she likewise knows they cannot see her. She listens as the very nice priest calmly brings to light the misunderstanding that had caused the problem so long ago and makes it go away. Then poof, the spirits leave the room, and Amy’s not hidden anymore. The nice priest bends down and smiles at her. He tells her he is glad to meet her.
“After seeing the spirits on to heaven, the priest and Gunter carry Amy up to the house.” She paused and stared at the Father’s thin form. “Well, actually, Gunter carries Amy up to the house, but before they opened the door, he passes Amy over to the Father, so when they walk in, all the servants will know she cannot possibly be a demon. Then they will be nice to Amy and she’ll live happily ever after.”
***
At the door, Gunter kissed Amy on her temple and handed her over to Father Duncan.
Amy looked up at Father Duncan with concern. “I’m not too heavy for you, am I?”
The priest smiled. “No, not even if you weighed a hundred pounds more would you be too heavy for me to complete my task.”
SALES LINK
Free for KU customers
More About the Author
Liza O’Connor’s favorite books are Pride & Prejudice and Douglas Adams’ five book trilogy, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Go figure…
Raised in the southern mid-section of U.S., Liza escaped to the East Coast once out of college. She’s worked as a journalist, a radio DJ, a security guard, a stock broker, a strategist, and a business solutions consultant to name a few of her many occupations. Again…go figure.
She learned to fly planes, jump out of planes, hang-glide, kayak and scuba dive, to name of few of her ‘let’s kill Liza’ sports. However, her favorite activity is to hike with her dog Jess among the shaved mountains of NJ.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
Investigate these sites:
Liza’s Blog and Website Facebook Twitter
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 