Goddess Born
Pennsylvania, 1730
Selah Kilbrid keeps a dangerous secret: she has the power to heal.
A direct descendent of the Celtic goddess Brigid, it’s Selah’s sacred duty to help those in need. But as the last of the Goddess Born living in the New World, she learned from an early age to keep her supernatural abilities hidden. The Quaker community of Hopewell has always been welcoming, but there’s no doubt they would see her hanged if her gift was revealed.
When a prominent minister threatens to try her with witchcraft unless she becomes his wife, Selah has only one hope—that her betrothed, a distant cousin from Ireland, arrives as planned. Marrying Samuel would keep her secret safe, preserve her sacred bloodline, and protect her from being charged as a witch.
But when news of Samuel’s death reaches the Colonies, Selah is truly on her own. Terrified, she faces an impossible choice—forfeit her powers and marry the loathsome Nathan? Or find an imposter to pose as her husband and preserve her birthright?
2013 RWA Golden Heart© Finalist
2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semifinalist
Chellz Review~
From the first chapter I was drawn into this beautifully told story. Selah Kilbrid has lost both her mother, older brother and now her father was on the brink of death. His last instructions to her are to go and meet the ship that her cousin will arrive on and to wed him at once before arriving back home. Selah obeys her father and leaves, however, she finds that she is unable to complete his wishes. As any young lady would do in her circumstances, Selah makes due with what she has available in the situation and finds herself wed to the indentured, Henry Alan. The story that unfolds is full of drama, accusations, mystery, and love. I stayed up until 3:30 am and finally had to put the story away until the next day. I hope that Ms. Edgren will write a sequel as I would love to find out how Selah and Henry's story continues in England and if they are able to attain their "happily ever after".
Jewelz Review~
I was so excited to read this book - a beautiful young woman, Selah Kilbrid, with the power to heal & a Quaker minister, Nathan Crowley, who is set on marrying her or destroying her. Then her cousin to whom she is betrothed to dies on the trip over from Ireland. Desperate to avoid marrying Nathan Crowley she purchases an indentured servant, Henry, whom she convinces to marry her in her cousin's name. She is desperate and doesn't think of the potential consequences of her rash decision and things are not as smooth sailing as Selah anticipates. The story that unfolds is a romantic adventure well worth the read.
~Excerpt~
“Believe me, Mr. Alan, marrying you was truly my last option. Why else would I willinglyconnect myself to a servant when half of the single men in Hopewell wanted my hand?” Well,
maybe not half, but I wasn’t really going for accuracy at the moment.
“Then why didn’t you take one of them instead?” he asked, giving me a sardonic grin.
“That is none of your concern.” I lifted my chin, but he was so tall my nose barely
topped his sternum, taking away from my attempt at a dignified air. “You are making such a fuss,
I almost wonder if you would have preferred Mr. Fletcher’s company to my own.” I smirked at
him, pleased with the insult.
The elegant curve of his mouth tensed in warning, but I was not about to back down
after being so rudely insulted. It was high time he remembered who was an heiress to a great
fortune and who had arrived a day before, indentured for service with nothing more than the
clothes on his back. Undesirable, indeed!
“Was it him you wanted instead of me?” I asked, pushing a little bit further.
His green eyes flashed dangerously as he leaned over me, bringing us almost nose to
nose. “A wife should never doubt her husband’s natural desires,” he said menacingly.
Disconcerted by his closeness, I started to move away when he grabbed my upper arms
and pulled me hard against him. Inhaling sharply, my rational mind scattered beneath the heady
scent of soap and masculine spice. Without thinking, I drew another breath, and my eyes strayed
to his mouth.
A soft chuckle vibrated deep in his chest. “So that’s why you’re angry.”
I jerked my gaze upward. “What do you—”
His fingers tightened on my arms. Then, with a dip of his head, he pressed his mouth
to mine. The suddenness so startled me, I forgot to kick and scream until his hold slackened a
moment later.
The floor felt strangely off-kilter as I stumbled back a step. My eyes blinked open, and
Henry loomed large, looking angrier than before.
“Are you satisfied now?” he asked in a chillingly quiet voice.
Indignation roared to life inside me. “How dare you!” I cried, my hand rising in
retaliation. His reflexes were snakelike, and he caught my wrist in midair.
“There’s no need for that,” he said, guiding my hand back down. “A bride is promised
one kiss on her wedding day, but ask as you may, you’ll be getting no more from me.”
Author Kari Edgren
Kari Edgren did not dream of becoming a writer. Instead, she dreamed of everything else and was often made to stay inside during kindergarten recess to practice her letters. Despite doting parents and a decent school system, Ms. Edgren managed to make it through elementary school having completed only one book cover to cover – The Box Car Children, which she read approximately forty-seven times. Things improved during high school, but not until she read Gabrielle Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude in college, did she truly understand the power of a book.
Ms. Edgren aspires to be a Vulcan, a world-acclaimed opera singer, and two inches taller. She resides in the Pacific NW where she spends a great deal of time torturing her husband and children with strange food and random historical facts. Ms. Edgren hasn’t stopped dreaming, but has finally mastered her letters enough to put the stories on paper.
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