The Violinist's Apprentice
by Isabella Mancini
Hello everyone and welcome back!
Today we have an extract of The Violinist's Apprentice by Isabella Mancini with an intro from the author. I hope you enjoy!
Synopsis:
A dark journey through time.
It’s on a group trip to Rome that something terrifying and mysterious happens, whirling musical Clementina back in time to 17th century Italy. Amidst court intrigue and creaking carriages, Rome becomes a chiaroscuro backdrop to her growing feelings for young violin-maker Antonio Stradivari. But soon he discovers that Clementina is not all she appears. She must surely be a witch. How can she return to the 21st century again? Meanwhile, in an icy corner of the Arctic, a professor plots.
Extract:
Hello lovely readers. Below is an extract from my brand new novel, which I hope you enjoy. For a long time I had wanted to write a series with enough oomph to not only capture the imagination of people everywhere, but at the same time give a boost to personal aspirations, cover engrossing stories set in different global locations and feature world issues such as global warming. I do hope that, after reading this novel, you will clamour for more.
In a different guise, I have written 7 other books, published by Crooked Cat Books, each featuring characters from my home city of Birmingham. In real life, I worked for 30 years in a leading, redbrick university and I have a BA Hons (Open) in the Humanities, majoring in English Language and Literature.
—
Extract from The Violinist’s Apprentice by Isabella Mancini
‘Halt!’ boomed a chorus of voices, as several stewards had now joined the group running after her.
Panic seized her.
The game was surely up, unless she could run and still outwit them. There was nothing now to lose and everything to gain if she could just make the Colosseum and the safety of the many hiding places behind the numerous archways and tunnels she remembered there.
Soon a light rain started to fall, cooling her fevered brow.
Where the hell is the Colosseum? Surely I should have been in sight of it by now.
Her breath was becoming increasingly laboured, her feet sore and blistered from the gritty shingle and hard stones underneath. If only she could pause and think for a moment. But no. Every corner she zoomed around, there again was the noise of those inescapable boots ringing noisily behind her.
Tina swiftly worked out the options. The stewards, followed by the rest of the now-thinning crowd, were about one-hundred metres behind her and, if she could maintain the same distance between them, she might still be all right. At least she was younger than all of them and considerably thinner, if her last glimpse of the overweight stewards was anything to go by. With her lighter weight she should, surely, still be able to run as fast. Her long legs were pumping now at full tilt as she at last espied the stately Colosseum in the distance, but sudden weariness in her muscles told the tale of several hours since she had eaten. She felt suddenly dizzy and faint from hunger.
Overhead more blessed rain fell to cool her fevered brow as Tina ploughed on, the noise of her pursuers drumming loudly in her ears. Her breath was now coming forcefully and was increasingly laboured. She hoped her strength wouldn’t fail her in her hour of need. The shouts seemed to be getting louder, as now Colosseum steward reinforcements joined them, their shouts becoming ever nearer as she darted first in one alleyway, then another, searching, for an escape.
At last, the glorious, historic Colosseum loomed into view. Tina could see tropical plants growing right out of the inner walls. But her goal was to search for the arches – particularly the one she had run through all that time ago.
As Tina entered the structured edifice, she glanced up. Each of the arches in the second and third-floor arcades had classical statues in them, their eyes frowning down at her in stern disapproval. She shivered in fright but didn’t have time to give in to fear. She knew she was in mortal danger. She remembered, yet again, how Antonio had told her that in Rome people found guilty were murdered by the state.
Oh God!
Quickly Tina ducked behind an archway and waited with her sweaty back pressed hard up against the flaking, grey stonework. She was gasping for breath, but desperate she shouldn’t get caught. God, the thought of it brought sweat into her eyes. As her eyes darted this way and that, she couldn’t help but wonder at how different the Colosseum looked. Her thoughts flew to when she and Beth had stood in that hot, sweaty queue in her own time. Everything then seemed to be in a ruined state, damaged beyond repair by centuries of earthquakes and thieves who had stolen valuable stones to build their own houses.
In her frantic quest, Tina now snaked in and out of the old seating areas, which had been arranged according to ancient levels of Roman society. There even seemed to be special boxes at the north and south ends, which must have been for the highest ranks because, as she looked down, she had the very best view of the arena. Stopping for a moment to catch her breath, she traced her finger over the name of some early person who had carved his name into the stonework, just like some of her school friends had done in their wooden school desks back home.
Back home!
Oh, how she wished she could get back. But how?
‘Halt!’ boomed a chorus of voices, as several stewards had now joined the group running after her.
Panic seized her.
The game was surely up, unless she could run and still outwit them. There was nothing now to lose and everything to gain if she could just make the Colosseum and the safety of the many hiding places behind the numerous archways and tunnels she remembered there.
Soon a light rain started to fall, cooling her fevered brow.
Where the hell is the Colosseum? Surely I should have been in sight of it by now.
Her breath was becoming increasingly laboured, her feet sore and blistered from the gritty shingle and hard stones underneath. If only she could pause and think for a moment. But no. Every corner she zoomed around, there again was the noise of those inescapable boots ringing noisily behind her.
Tina swiftly worked out the options. The stewards, followed by the rest of the now-thinning crowd, were about one-hundred metres behind her and, if she could maintain the same distance between them, she might still be all right. At least she was younger than all of them and considerably thinner, if her last glimpse of the overweight stewards was anything to go by. With her lighter weight she should, surely, still be able to run as fast. Her long legs were pumping now at full tilt as she at last espied the stately Colosseum in the distance, but sudden weariness in her muscles told the tale of several hours since she had eaten. She felt suddenly dizzy and faint from hunger.
Overhead more blessed rain fell to cool her fevered brow as Tina ploughed on, the noise of her pursuers drumming loudly in her ears. Her breath was now coming forcefully and was increasingly laboured. She hoped her strength wouldn’t fail her in her hour of need. The shouts seemed to be getting louder, as now Colosseum steward reinforcements joined them, their shouts becoming ever nearer as she darted first in one alleyway, then another, searching, for an escape.
At last, the glorious, historic Colosseum loomed into view. Tina could see tropical plants growing right out of the inner walls. But her goal was to search for the arches – particularly the one she had run through all that time ago.
As Tina entered the structured edifice, she glanced up. Each of the arches in the second and third-floor arcades had classical statues in them, their eyes frowning down at her in stern disapproval. She shivered in fright but didn’t have time to give in to fear. She knew she was in mortal danger. She remembered, yet again, how Antonio had told her that in Rome people found guilty were murdered by the state.
Oh God!
Quickly Tina ducked behind an archway and waited with her sweaty back pressed hard up against the flaking, grey stonework. She was gasping for breath, but desperate she shouldn’t get caught. God, the thought of it brought sweat into her eyes. As her eyes darted this way and that, she couldn’t help but wonder at how different the Colosseum looked. Her thoughts flew to when she and Beth had stood in that hot, sweaty queue in her own time. Everything then seemed to be in a ruined state, damaged beyond repair by centuries of earthquakes and thieves who had stolen valuable stones to build their own houses.
In her frantic quest, Tina now snaked in and out of the old seating areas, which had been arranged according to ancient levels of Roman society. There even seemed to be special boxes at the north and south ends, which must have been for the highest ranks because, as she looked down, she had the very best view of the arena. Stopping for a moment to catch her breath, she traced her finger over the name of some early person who had carved his name into the stonework, just like some of her school friends had done in their wooden school desks back home.
Back home!
Oh, how she wished she could get back. But how?
Purchase Links:
Author Bio
Previous books by Olga Swan:
An Englishwoman in America
From Paradis to Perdition
Pensioners in Paradis
The Mazurek Express
Lamplight
Vichyssoise
3rd Degree Murder
Social Media Links:
Twitter: @IsabellaManci10.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ManciniIsabella1
Facebook Group: Books, Music and the Past
Amazon page for Isabella Mancini: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Isabella-Mancini/e/B08127KJJW/
Amazon page for Olga Swan: https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B013IBD4PU
Giveaway:
Giveaway to Win a signed paperback of An Englishwoman in America (Open INT)
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
No comments:
Post a Comment