#83 Inside the Emotion of Fiction: "The Sword And Shield" by Emma Khoury

Chris Rice Cooper 

caccoop@aol.com

https://www.facebook.com/car.cooper.7

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****Emma Khoury’s THE SWORD AND SHIELD is #83 in the never-ending series called INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION where the Chris Rice Cooper Blog (CRC) focuses on one specific excerpt from a fiction genre and how that fiction writer wrote that specific excerpt.  All INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION links are at the end of this piece. 

Has this been published? And it is totally fine if the answer is no.   If yes, what publisher and what publication date? It hasn’t been published yet but, per my contract, it will be in stores within the next two years! (Below:  Emma's two cats Echo and Kira were the inspiration for The Sword and Shield)

What is the date you began writing this piece of fiction and the date when you completely finished the piece of fiction? I began writing The Sword and Shield in 2015. It was an on again, off again relationship, which is why it took me so long. It was also the first novel length work I’d ever written to completion and I wasn’t entirely sure what I was doing. I finished writing it in early 2018.

Where did you do most of your writing for this fiction work?  And please describe in detail. I’ve been doing my writing at the local Panera.  My couch is now my primary writing space.

What were your writing habits while writing this work- did you drink something as you wrote, listen to music, write in pen and paper, directly on laptop; specific time of day? I try not to listen to anything while I’m writing as it often distracts my ADD brain. I make sure to keep well hydrated and eat something every couple of hours if I’m binge-writing. I will make notes in a notebook if I’m away from my laptop and get an idea but I primarily do my writing on a laptop.  The muse is fickle and will strike at any time during the day. I just have to be ready when it does!

What is the summary of this specific fiction work? Ezra Toth is your typical sword for hire.  A dark past, a few secrets, a talent for killing, with a sharp sword and sharper wit.  Perhaps his several dozen cats are a bit unique but other than that…  He returns from a ordinary, arduous job to find representatives of the crown waiting for him at his home – not so typical.  They bring him to the Crown Prince who has a problem only Ezra can solve.  Crown Prince Christophe's brother, and possibly even the King himself, are part of a plot to assassinate him.  With no idea who in the palace is truly loyal to who, Ezra must navigate a myriad of potential suspects whilst protecting the heir. 

Can you give the reader just enough information for them to understand what is going on in the excerpt? Ezra isn’t your typical sword for hire – asexual, cat-loving, with an auto-immune disease – but the Crown Prince still thinks Ezra is his best bet to protect himself from the murderous plots of his relatives.

Please include just one excerpt and include page numbers as reference.  Page 35: Tossing his bag to the floor, Ezra collapsed onto the couch, and out of nowhere, they descended.

     Black, blue, orange with a bit of white, white with a bit of orange, one named Snow because she was that ghostly pale, and several others with bits missing. Ezra was soon covered in cats. Their communal purring was deafening and each vied for space to rub their scent on him. Echo forced his head to dip as Luke chewed on one of his braids and after a while, they all settled down, finding space near enough to curl up near him.

Why is this excerpt so emotional for you as a writer to write?  And can you describe your own emotional experience of writing this specific excerpt? This excerpt wasn’t really an emotional one, but it was certainly the most fun. It’s a good way to show that there really is more to this assassin than meets the eye.

          Writing since she was twelve years old, Emma has pursued many original stories as she honed her gift.  She is an avid reader, having recently purchased her fifth bookcase.  Emma lives in Michigan with her two cats, Echo and Kira.  

www.emmakhoury.com

INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION links

001   11 15 2018 Nathaniel Kaine’s

Thriller Novel

John Hunter – The Veteran

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/001-inside-emotion-of-fiction-nathaniel.html

002   11 18 2018 Ed Protzzel’s

Futuristic/Mystery/Thriller

The Antiquities Dealer 

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/002-inside-emotion-of-fiction-ed.html

003   11 23 2018 Janice Seagraves’s

Science Fiction Romance

Exodus Arcon

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/003-inside-emotion-of-fiction-exodus.html

004   11 29 2018 Christian Fennell’s

Literary Fiction Novel

The Fiddler in the Night

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/004-inside-emotion-of-fiction-christian.html

005  12 02 2018 Jessica Mathews’s

Adult Paranormal Romance

Death Adjacent

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/5-inside-emotion-of-fiction-jessica.html

006  12 04 2018 Robin Jansen’s

Literary Fiction Novel

Ruby the Indomitable

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/006-inside-emotion-of-fiction-robin.html

007  12 12 2018  Adair Valerez’s

Literary Fiction Novel

Scrim

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/007-inside-emotion-of-fiction-adair.html

008  12 17 218 Kit Frazier’s

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Dead Copy

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/008-inside-emotion-of-fiction-kit.html

009 12 21 2019 Robert Craven’s

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http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/009-inside-emotion-of-fiction-robert.html

010 01 13 2019 Kristine Goodfellow’s

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http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/01/010-inside-emotion-of-fictions-other.html

011 01 17 2019 Nancy J Cohen’s

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Trimmed To Death

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/01/11-inside-emotion-of-fiction-nancy.html

012 01 20 2019 Charles Salzberg’s

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https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/01/12-inside-emotion-of-fiction-charles.html

013 01 23 2019 Alexis Fancher’s

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014 01 27 2019 Brian L Tucker’s

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POKEWEED:  AN ILLUSTRATED NOVELLA

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015 01 31 2019 Robin Tidwell’s

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Reduced

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016 02 07 2019 J.D. Trafford’s

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Little Boy Lost

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017 02 08 2019 Paula Shene’s

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018 02 13 2019 Talia Carner’s

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019 02 15 2019 Rick Robinson’s

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020 02 21 2019 LaVerne Thompson’s

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021 02 27 2019 Marlon L Fick’s

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022 03 02 2019 Carol Johnson’s

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https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/22-inside-emotion-of-fictions-silk-and.html

023 03 06 2019 Samuel Snoek-Brown’s

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024 03 08 2019 Marlin Barton’s

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025 03 18 2019 Laura Hunter’s

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026 03 21 2019 Maggie Rivers’s

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027  03 25 2019 Faith Gibson’s

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029 04 04 2019 Betty Bolte’s

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030 04 05 2019  Marianne Maili’s

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031 04 10 2019 Gregory Erich Phillips’s

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032 04 15 2019 Jason Ament’s

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033 04 24 2019 Stephen P. Keirnan’s

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034 05 01 2019 George Kramer’s

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http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/05/34-inside-emotion-of-fictions-arcadis.html

035 05 05 2019 Erika Sams’s

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036 05 07 2019 Mark Wisniewski’s

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https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/05/36-inside-emotion-of-fictions-watch-me.html

037 05 08 2019 Marci Baun’s

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http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/05/37-inside-emotion-of-fictions.html

038 05 10 2019 Suzanne M. Wolfe’s

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039 05 12 2019 Edward DeVito’s

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040 05 14 2019 Gytha Lodge’s

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041 05 16 2019 Kari Bovee’s

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042 05 20 2019 Annie Seaton’s

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043 05 22 2019 Paula Rose Michelson’s

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044 05 24 2019 Gracie C McKeever’s

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046 06 04 2019 Jeanne Mackin’s

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047 06 07 2019 Philip Shirley’s

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048 06 08 2019 Bonnie Kistler’s

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049 06 13 2019 Barbara Taylor Sissel’s

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050 06 18 2019 Charles Salzberg’s

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http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/06/50-inside-emotion-of-fictions-no-good.html

051 06 19 2019 Rita Dragonette’s

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http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/06/51-inside-emotion-of-fictions.html

052  06 20 2019 Nona Caspers’s

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http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/06/52-inside-emotion-of-fictions-fifth.html

053 06 26 2019 Jeri Westerson’s

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http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/06/53-inside-emotion-of-fictions-shadows.html

054 06 28 2019 Brian Moreland’s

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https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/06/54-inside-emotion-of-fictions-devils.html

055 06 29 2019

Epic Fantasy

Wings Unseen

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/06/55-inside-emotion-of-fiction-wings.html

056 07 02 2019 Randee Green’s

Mystery Novel

Criminal Misdeeds

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/07/56-inside-emotion-of-fiction-criminal.html

057 07 03 2019 Saralyn Ricahrd’s

Mystery Novel

Murder In The One Percent

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/07/57-inside-emotion-of-fiction-murder-in.html

#058 07 04 2019 Hannah Mary McKinnon’s

Domestic Suspense

Her Secret Son

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/07/58-inside-emotion-of-fiction-her-secret.html

#059 07 05 2019 Sonia Saikaley’s

Contemporary Women’s Literature

The Allspice Bath

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/07/59-inside-emotion-of-fiction-allspice.html

#060 07 09 2019 Olivia Gaines’s

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https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/07/60-inside-emotion-of-fiction-blind-luck.html

#061 07 11 2019 Anne Raeff’s

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Winter Kept Us Warm

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/07/061-inside-emotion-of-fiction-winter.html

#062 07 12 2918 Vic Sizemore’s

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I Love You I’m Leaving

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/07/62-inside-emotion-of-fiction-i-love-you.html

#063 07 13 2019 Deborah Riley Magnus’s

Dark Paranormal Urban Fantasy

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TRILOGY

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/07/f063-inside-emotion-of-fiction-orphans.html

#064 07 14 2019 Elizabeth Bell’s

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NECESSARY SINS

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/07/064-inside-emotion-of-fiction-necessary.html

#065 07 15 2019 Lori Baker Martin’s

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https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/07/065-inside-emotion-of-fiction-bitter.html

#066 08 01 2019 Sabine Chennault’s

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https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/08/66-inside-emotion-of-fictions-corpsmans.html

#067 08 02 2019 Margaret Porter’s

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BEAUTIFUL INVENTION:  A NOVEL OF HEDY LAMARR

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/08/67-inside-emotion-of-fictions-beautiful.html

#068 08 04 2019 Hank Phillippi Ryan’s

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https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/08/68-inside-emotion-of-fictions-murder.html

069 08 08 2019 Diana Y. Paul’s

Literary Mainstream Fiction

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https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/08/69-inside-emotion-of-fictions-things.html

070 08 10 2019 Phyllis H. Moore’s

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https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/08/70-inside-emotion-of-fiction-birdie.html

071 08 11 2019 Sara Dahmen’s

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072  08 19 2019 Carolyn Breckinridge’s

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073 08 21 2019 Alison Ragsdale’s

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074  08 22 2019 Lee Matthew Goldberg’s

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075 08 23 2019 Jonathan Brown’s

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076 09 02 2019 Chera Hammons Miller’s

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077 09 09 019 Joe William Taylor’s

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078 09 15 2019 Linda Hughes’s

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079 09 19 2019 Max Elliot Anderson’s

Middle Grade Adventure/Mystery

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080 09 22 2019 Danny Adams’s

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081 09 24 2019 Arianna Dagnino’s

Social/Historical/Adventure

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082 09 29 2019 Lawrence Verigin’s

Thriller/Suspense

Seed of Control

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/09/82-inside-emotion-of-fiction-seed-of.html

083  10 05 2019 Emma Khoury’s
Fantasy
The Sword And Shield
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/10/83-inside-emotion-of-fiction-sword-and.html