Historical Fiction Novel: Principle Destiny by David A. Cleinman

Book Description:

Principle Destiny is a story set in a turn of the century, semi-European themed, land, with strong conflicts between family members, and a fight for survival by the heroine against deadly forces who have the desire to see her eliminated, and themselves in power rather than her. With her family torn apart, her kingdom beset by these covert enemies, working for her father, King Jessett, no less, and freedoms and lives at stake, Princess Alyssa would rather die than stand idly by.

But Alyssa is now a farm girl, who should be the ranking Princess and Heir to the throne of Landing. Denied her rights by her father, and banished from the palace, she has only one chance to gain her rightful place as heir to the throne and future King. Several years before when her father, generally considered a tyrant King, was threatened with coups and general unrest, he created a challenge system whereby the person who defeated Prince Tobias in a thousand mile endurance race could win the Kingship. Of course the protection of the crown makes this easier for Tobias than his competitors. Now, however, he has a new challenger, his beautiful and talented sister, Princess Alyssa, who has been training for this race in secret for six years, and who has decided enough is enough. She has vowed to win the race, gain the Kingship, and take back the rights that her father has stolen from her. Now if she can only stay alive for the 8 months it will take her to complete the race.

Author Bio:

Born in 1964, in upstate New York, David A. (Dave) Cleinman, due to exposure to endless amounts of it, gained a love for nature and its abundant beauty. A devout fan of JRR Tolkien, classic literature, and political satire, he also enjoys Sixties and Seventies music, and classic/hard rock. His sense of irony, and his dry sense of humor have spiced up his writing, somewhat, but his love for people and desire to bring peace and happiness to others allows his writing to be open and expressive, and free-flowing. His characters are based largely on observed behaviors, rather than particular individuals, and his background in Psychology and Education help a great deal when building and establishing the life of a character. Strong friendships, and a warm and welcoming community allowed a certain freedom of mind and thought that opened many doors, much which can be seen in his stories.

"I've had the great fortune of living in some of the most amazing places. My hometown was a beautiful village in the rolling hills of central New York, and I found wide open spaces surrounded by distant hills during my years as a psychology student at SUNY Geneseo. The people I have met, and the places I've seen have had a strong impact on the tales that I tell and the stories that I write. My greatest love in writing is bringing a story to others. Characters write and tell their own stories, I am just their messenger by way, generally speaking, of word processor." -David A. Cleinman

Excerpt:

Skenter broke free, grabbed something special he had been saving, and rode after the princess, who had broken into full speed and was already past the scuffle that had ensued between her father’s men and Skenter’s. He had to admire her speed. Even though he was on his horse, at full gallop, she was making this a chase, and she had the advantage of being able to run where his horse couldn’t. She dodged behind a row of trees, suddenly, and Skenter had no idea what to do. If he dismounted, she would either attack him, not a good option for him, or run on towards the approaching riders. She could see him, but he couldn’t see her. Suddenly she emerged about a dozen yards ahead, once again flying down the road. This time, however, she overestimated her luck. Skenter reached her, and lassoed her around the neck with a short piece of rope designed just for that purpose. Alyssa was in trouble, and she knew it. She barely had a chance to get her hands between the rope and her skin before she felt it yanked tight. She was able to breath, at least, but she had no free hands and no way to escape. If he dragged her for any real distance, she would be dead very quickly. She was dragged along, but across the road and into the grass. She suddenly grew fearful that Skenter was going to rape her before he killed her. She had a second or two to think as Skenter stopped the horse and got off. Then she had it. As he set foot into the stirrup, and swung off, she used her free foot to kick the horse as hard as she could. It jumped in pain, then stormed off. Skenter was thrown clear, landing on his face, and Alyssa was able to yank the rope free of his hands and get herself out of it. Her attacker was down, but not out, and he was gradually moving. Skenter’s sword had run off with his horse, but his rifle was next to him on the ground. If she ran off, he would have an easy shot. She ran up his back, suddenly, and kicked him in the back of his head. She then rolled off, grabbed his rifle and pointed it at him. She tried to shoot, but the mechanism had broken with his fall, or it had jammed. She had knocked him out, but she had done very little real damage. She looked around, frantically, as if seeking a place to hide. She couldn’t risk running back into the open, and she didn’t dare let this creep out of her sight.

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