Sorrows of Adoration

It was a folded and
sealed piece of paper with the words “Deliver Immediately to
Princess Aenna” on one side, in unfamiliar handwriting. I cracked
the seal and read the note.

“Your Highness,” it
read, “His Highness Prince Kurit graciously requests that you meet
him as soon as you are able in the courtyard.” That was all. There
was no signature nor other indication of the author of the note,
though I knew it was not Kurit’s handwriting at all.

I puzzled at the
strange request and then thought perhaps Kurit was up to some silly
surprise or game. Perhaps he had some gift for me in the courtyard,
though that would be a strange place to give a gift to a woman with
child on a cold, windy night. I had no notion as to how long the
note had remained undelivered in the kitchen, but the idea that the
poor man might have been waiting out in the cold for me for some
time prompted me to hurriedly rise and fetch a cloak.

There was not a great
deal of snow on the ground, as we had been fortunate enough to have
had a mild winter so far. There were, however, small drifts about
the shadowy areas, and the whipping wind gathered bits of ice from
them to be tossed into my face, making it difficult to see. I
pulled the cloak around me and looked for Kurit, but the ice-wind
and sudden darkness after being in the well-lit palace conspired to
blind me.

I stumbled down the
steps towards the gate when I heard a voice that I did not
recognize call my name softly. I turned to the sound, which came
from the south, in the poorly lit end of the courtyard by the
smokehouse. I could see no one there, so I called out, “Kurit?” but
there was no response.

A dreadful apprehension
seized me as I walked towards the sound. This was unlike Kurit, and
if he thought he was being amusing he was sorely mistaken. I tugged
my cloak tightly around me and shivered as I stepped foolishly
towards the dark corner.

Just as I realized that
I could make out figures standing in the dark, one of them lunged
at me and clamped a hard hand over my mouth.

Gaia Series

Finding Gaia

The Power of a
Blush

~

Non-fiction

Flexible, Edible
Stained Glass

Cute and Easy Turkey Cakes

Five Stars

This is a very
enjoyable tale that readers will relish … The queen is a
delicious villain who readers will love to hate. Author Kimberly
Chapman is a gifted storyteller who will be tomorrow’s superstar in
the fantasy romance sub-genre.

—Harriet Klausner,
Amazon’s #1 Reviewer

Five Roses

Sorrows of Adoration
is such an aptly named story. The emotions were
such that I often found myself overwhelmed by them and having to
step away from the story for deep breaths to regain my control. I
have never read of a heroine as honorable, intelligent, and proud
as Aenna is … I was so enthralled with Aenna, Kurit, and Jarik
that I truly never wanted the story to end, yet when it did I wiped
my tears and smiled for a well written tale that took me away to a
time long ago and a place far away. For an emotionally,
romantically, and suspensefully wonderful read, I definitely
recommend
Sorrows of Adoration
.

—
Vikky,
A Romance Review

I laughed, felt love,
and shed a few tears

It’s
a curious thing to read fresh and candid prose, and gradually
discover that what you’re reading is half fairy tale and half
steamy modern romance. Aenna has grace and courage. Her sense of
humor and perspective add an engaging touch to this first-person
narrative … Ms. Chapman’s words flow easily and convincingly,
carrying the reader along with the tale as it unfolds with slow
grace. I laughed, felt love, and shed a few tears. She attacks a
few social issues with great vigor, leaving ideas to mull over
after the story closes. If you enjoy a compelling romance, I
strongly recommend
Sorrows of Adoration
.

—
Jeanette Cottrell,
eBook Reviews Weekly

An unusual romance

It is
filled with strife, and gives a view of how hard relationships can
be if someone is against the union … The characters are so
realistic, I cried … For a book you won’t soon forget,
try
Sorrows
of Adoration
.

—
Angela Camp,
Romance Reviews Today

Will pull at your
heartstrings

Kimberly Chapman has written a wonderful fantasy tale
with
Sorrows
of Adoration
. This retelling of the old Cinderella tale will pull at
your heartstrings as you read of the trials and travails Aenna must
face as she deals with the Queen’s cruelty and plots against her
time and time again. This is not an easy story to read as Aenna
deals with everything thrown at her, but it is something I highly
recommend.

—
Chere Gruver,
ParanormalRomance Reviews

One of the best
historical romances I have read

Ms Chapman just
captures the reader’s emotions and lures them in this story. The
emotions run high and you cannot help but find yourself speechless
with the outcome. This story tells the reader of one woman’s
sorrow, sadness, happiness, love, and heartbreak all in one book.
It was awesome. That is all I can say to explain this page-turner.
It was AWESOME and definitely a must read for anyone with romance
in your heart.

—
Ruby,
Fallen Angel Reviews

Get this book. I
promise, you won't be disappointed.

When I finished, I sent
a quick note off to Kimberly (the author) saying that I found
myself wanting to know more about these characters. That I
considered them as simply friends I hadn't met in person. I asked
if she had prequels/sequels in print or in progress and urged her
to cloister herself in a room and keep writing.

If you like romances,
if you like strong women, if you like great character development,
if you like interesting dialogue, if you just enjoy reading a good
story, then get this book. I promise, you won't be
disappointed.

—Stephen Kalman
“techauthor” at Amazon.com

Five stars – A
wonderful yarn

This book is a wonderful yarn that spans history and
present day. It borrows from the fantasy world, yet also delves
into the romance world without really becoming either one, then
sprinkles in a slight dash of Sci-fi to sweeten up the plot. I
thoroughly enjoyed the book from cover to cover, felt that it
resolved the plot well enough yet still left a solid foundation for
a series.

—Bryce R. Alexander
“PastorB” at Amazon.com

A must read

This is a lovely thought provoking book that is
beautifully written. Fell in love with Trish as she is my kinda gal
and a heroine in her own right, but Anna, the true heroine, creeps
up quietly and steals your heart, as does the patient, amazing
hero.

—Claudy Conn, author

Absolutely amazing

This book was
absolutely amazing, and I couldn't put it down. In fact at work,
while a group of us were leaving, one of my friends remarked, “I
can't believe you can walk and read at the same time!”

—Kristin Plausky at
Amazon.com

Five stars – This is a
wonderful, fast-moving, romantic story!

A great book by
Kimberly Chapman. This fantasy unfolds in real time, while giving
the reader a great review of what was! It is written in todays time
frame, yet the reader is left with no doubt that much of the story
is in the distant past.

This is a wonderful,
fast-moving, romantic story! I found it to be quite easy reading,
yet moved along at a pace I could follow. I could easily recommend
this book to anyone that enjoys historical romance stories.

—Charles J. Kravetz at
Amazon.com

By

Sorrows of
Adoration

By Kimberly
Chapman

http://www.kimberlychapman.com

Copyright © 2003, 2013
by Kimberly Chapman

First edition
published by NovelBooks, Inc. 2003

Second edition
published 2013

Edited by: Karen
Babcock

www.karenbabcock.com

Cover illustration by
Nathalie Moore

All rights
reserved

Published in the
United States of America

Smashwords edition

May 2013

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment
only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people.
If you would like to share this book with another person, please
purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading
this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your
use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your
own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this
author.

Names, characters, and
events depicted in this book are products of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual
events, places, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is
entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.

No part of this book
may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by
any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the author.

Excerpt
of
Finding
Gaia

Copyright © 2012 by
Kimberly Chapman

Discover this and other titles by Kimberly Chapman
at Smashwords.com:

Gaia Series

Finding Gaia
–
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/180554

The Power of a Blush
-
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/254043

IT IS ASTOUNDING how a
single evening can change the direction of one’s life.

My life had been
relatively simple up until my twenty-first year. I had no family
that I was aware of, having been orphaned as an infant. I have
heard tell that my father was a successful, even brilliant, young
merchant who made a respectable living by having a knack for
knowing what town would pay the highest price for what goods at a
given time. My mother was just his wife, I suppose. Nobody
remembered her. She may have been a wonderful woman, or perhaps a
nasty one. It always troubled me that she was forgettable because
she was just somebody’s wife. I decided as a young child that I was
not going to end up as “just somebody’s wife”.

Mind you, being raised
an orphan in the company of other orphans under the care of
priests- and priestesses-in-training at the Aleshan Temple Academy
is not a good first step to making a mark on the world. Most of the
orphans go on to be servants of the Gods themselves, but I was
never that enchanted by the notion. I was and remain a properly
religious person, endeavouring in both word and deed to follow the
rules set out by the Temple. But I left their care in my fourteenth
year to seek a way to be something other than just another
priestess, just another girl.