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
Excerpt 2
“Believe me, Mr. Alan, marrying you was truly my last option. Why else would I willingly
connect 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.”
ABNA Publisher Weekly Reviewer
Set in the colony of Pennsylvania in 1730, this riveting novel begins as 18-year-old Selah Kilbrid runs into Quaker minister Nathan Crowley, a man who “labor[ed] under the delusion that [Selah] would soon be his wife” despite the fact that she was betrothed to a man on his way to America from Ireland. Nathan tells Selah that if she refuses him, he will have her “charged as a witch” because of her ability to heal the sick. To avoid Nathan’s plan to marry her the following Sunday, she leaves for Philadelphia to wait for the arrival of her betrothed and marry him before returning home. In Philadelphia, she discovers that her betrothed has died at sea. She then purchases Henry, an indentured servant, and convinces him to pose as her husband and help protect her from Nathan. As the story continues, the reader learns of Selah’s family history and the powers she possesses; Selah is half human, half goddess. It’s important that her secret stay safe, because if discovered, she could be killed. The characters are well developed and relatable; the reader empathizes with Selah and her plight. The fast-paced plot is exciting and keeps the reader guessing and in suspense. The end leaves room for a sequel, which, after such a tremendous beginning, would be anxiously awaited. A clear winner!
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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