Lost Prince of Waydale excerpt

As per a request I am going to post a small excerpt to my new novel Lost Prince of Waydale. I would love to share the cover art with you but my artist/designer should have it to me by August 1st. Also, I am going on vacation beginning Friday to Cape May with my boyfriend and I will try to read and write more during that time but no promises. So on to the excerpt...

Collins heart beat faster and faster as he put his hand on the cover of the book and dusted it off. The book was leather bound and very old, as far as Collin could tell, but what did he know. The entire trim of the book had little bronze colored leaves going all around it, some of which were faded. 

His fingers tingled as he ran them across the cover, for a split second, Collin could have sworn he felt the book grow hot like as if it were alive. Taking a deep breath, Collin lifted the cover and stared at the first page. Written on yellowing paper and in an old style font was the title, Lost Prince of Waydale. Collin shivered a bit. Waydale, why did that name sound so familiar to him? He wasn’t sure, but he vaguely remembered hearing his father mention the name once before. By the time Collin turned to the next page he was definitely sure he felt the book getting warmer and warmer under his fingers. Finally he got up the courage to turn to the first page. In the same text as the title, Collin began to read the first paragraph…

“Once upon a time,” Collin rolled his blue eyes at the cliché but continued reading anyway. “There was a faraway magical land that went by the name of Waydale. Waydale was a kingdom of beautiful rolling fields and castles as tall as the deep blue sky.” 

As Collin pictured the kingdom of Waydale in his mind he began to feel very tired and warm, almost like he was under the bright sky in the story. As his heavy eyes began to flutter closed, he felt himself falling forward, and without warning, he felt himself getting pulled towards the book itself. It was almost as if it was calling him into it. Collin finally let his eyes close for good and let himself be pulled by the sleep that he knew he couldn’t evade. The last thing Collin saw was a bright light and he felt a comforting warm sensation, like he was falling asleep under a sunny sky…

The first sound Collin could hear were the birds chirping somewhere above him. Is it morning already? Collin didn’t remember leaving his bedroom window open. He certainly wasn’t in his new house anymore, perhaps he was dreaming. Collin was lying on his back now staring up at a bright blue sky; beneath his fingers he could feel itchy, prickly grass. When Collin lifted his head he saw the most beautiful landscape he could have ever imagined. There was a charming waterfall flowing into a river that was just a few feet away from him. Also, there were large stone buildings that resembled castles straight out of a fairytale or something from the medieval period. There was beautiful farmland off in the distance and horses in the fields behind him.  Collin was so engrossed in the beauty of it that he didn’t hear someone approaching him. 

“Excuse me, boy?” Collin heard a man’s voice from a few feet away. “Are you lost or hurt?” A young man, around eighteen or nineteen years of age asked him, sounding concerned. Collin turned around to face the man and as soon as the young man saw Collin’s face, he froze for a moment, but then he smiled wide. Practically running, the brown eyed, curly haired man, went over to Collin to help him off the ground. “I’m sorry sir, I- I didn’t realize you were coming so soon, are you alright, have you been hurt” the man seemed almost…panicked? Collin shook his head and took the man’s hand and got up from the grass. 

When Collin got up he brushed off his dirty jeans and tried to take a deep breath. 

“I-I’m fine, I was just having a nap…I think.” The truth was, Collin had no idea where he was or how he got here. Collin thought for a moment, what was he doing right before he fell asleep? Suddenly, Collin gasped! Reading! He had been reading the book that he found in his home. “Waydale” Collin whispered to himself quietly, he was amazed at how vividly he was dreaming about Waydale. The young man nodded at Collin and got down on his left knee in front of Collin in a bow.

“Welcome back to Waydale Prince Collin James” the man bowed his head and looked up at Collin’s stunned face after a few seconds. “My name is Flint Gregory and we in Waydale have been waiting for your arrival sir.” Collin stared at Flint for a moment, and thought, Me? A Prince?