THE DOOR, THE KEY, AND THE KINGDOM
by Emily-Jane Hills Orford
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GENRE: Arthurian Fantasy
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BLURB:
Life
is complicated enough when living in one era, but when Anne finds herself
gravitating back in time to the sixth century, she’s not sure what to expect,
or what to believe. Pulling the legendary Excalibur from its stoney sheath,
she’s amazed at the power she possesses and the chance to make some things
right for the post-Arthurian era.
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Excerpt
Three:
They could see figures moving about, where presumably the
castle had once stood. A hand raised to beckon them, a banner was swung back
and forth. Sir Roderick answered with a wave. “It is your banner, my Queen, the
one that led the men to this castle and the battle they must have endured.”
“I hope it is our men waving the banner,” Merlin muttered as
he nudged his horse forward, following Sir Roderick’s lead as he made his way
carefully down the steep embankment. The others followed, taking equal care on
the steep descent. At the bottom, they splashed through the rushing waters,
blackened by the soot of the now demolished castle. Though angry in its rush to
cascade the rocks, the water wasn’t deep. The others followed and, all soaked
to the skin, made their ascent on the opposite side. Sir Roderick displayed
caution, placing his hand on the sword’s hilt ready for action. The others
copied. Merlin’s staff, perched as before on his foot, glowed with reserved
energy, ready to strike at the wizard’s command.
There was a collective gasp amongst Anne’s group when they
reined in at the riverbank. What lay before them was a blackened depression in
the ground covering an area slightly larger than the layout of Gloucester
Castle. There was nothing left of Tamworth, only charred, smoldering remains
and this eerie looking hole in the ground.
“Oh my!” Anne sidled up to Merlin. “What do you suppose
happened?”
“Probably the same thing that happened at Grenadier Falls,”
Merlin responded blandly.
“A failsafe trip wire that affected both places and both
eras?” Anne asked no one in particular. “What kind of magic did this wizard
possess?”
“Very unholy, foul magic, my Queen,” Merlin growled under
his breath. “Very evil.”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Emily-Jane
Hills Orford is a country writer, living just outside the tiny community of
North Gower, Ontario, near Canada’s capital city of Ottawa. With degrees in art
history, music and Canadian studies, the retired music teacher enjoys the quiet
nature of her country home and the inspiration of working at her antique Jane
Austen-style spinet desk, feeling quite complete as she writes and stares out
the large picture window at the birds and the forest. She writes in several
genres, including creative nonfiction, memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction.
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GIVEAWAY
Emily-Jane Hills Orford will be awarding a $10
Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
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