Title: The De Danann Legacy: An Elizabeth Marchand Novel
Author D.J.B. Griffin
Genre Fantasy
Book Blurb:
Elizabeth Marchand’s life took a dramatic turn when she received an ancient book and ring upon her grandmother’s passing and discovered her tie to the Dé Danann Legacy, a tradition of witchcraft that spanned the generations and awoke dormant abilities she had possessed since childhood. A divorced single mother with a precocious adolescent daughter, Elizabeth moves to the bucolic New England town of Camden Hills to teach part-time at the university and accept co-ownership in her uncle’s rare book shop to continue to hone her ancestral magic skills. But as she learns more about her secret family history from her uncle, and discovers that her daughter is beginning to manifest special abilities of her own, a threat to Elizabeth’s new life looms on the horizon. A multinational corporation known as CGC has acquired an abandoned farm in Camden Hills and started clearing land with an aim to building a massive R & D plant that would not only damage the environment and change the peaceful character of Camden Hills, but destroy the fragile Spirit-of-Place that supports the magical energies of Elizabeth’s new home. Joining with environmental activists and local witches, Elizabeth determines to use her newfound abilities to stop the industrialization of her town, but CGC has powerful resources, including a new police chief they’ve installed in Camden Hills, and she soon finds that she’s become a target of people who will stop at nothing in their pursuit of profit.
Excerpt:
Elizabeth grunted when the taser barbs pierced her back. Her muscles violently twitched as she fell forward, landing hard on her right shoulder. As the painful electrical current flowed through her body, she felt helpless, out of control. The taser barbs felt like hundreds of bees stinging her skin. Mercifully, the electrical pulses stopped. As the rush of adrenalin hit, Elizabeth could only think of survival.
“Please just take my purse and leave,” she pleaded.
Feeling as though she were going to pass out from the pain in her right shoulder, she tried to call on the ring’s power to repel her attacker, but she couldn’t muster enough focus. Instead, she took in as much of her surroundings as she could – in case she survived. The man attacking her wore blue jeans, black sneakers, a gray sweatshirt, a black ski mask, and black leather gloves.
Her attacker grabbed her again, pulled out a knife, and held it to her throat. Out of nowhere, a large gray dog appeared and lunged at her attacker. The dog bit through the man’s face mask, and blood began dripping from his left cheek as he cried out in pain. Unrelenting, the dog continued, ripping through the man’s sweatshirt. The dog sustained the attack until the man stopped moving.
Dazed from the pain of the taser barbs and what she felt was a dislocated shoulder, Elizabeth managed to dial 911. The dog remained by her side, vigilantly watching for signs of trouble from the man who lay semi-conscious five feet away from her. The other two men jumped out of the van, dragged the moaning attacker into the vehicle, and sped away.
Elizabeth felt herself going in and out of consciousness. The dog nuzzled her face gently to keep her awake. Jake Campbell arrived just as Elizabeth was being loaded into the ambulance, the taser wires still in her back and attached to the gun the EMT placed on the gurney. Jake jumped out of his SUV and ran to her side.
*****
Elizabeth gave the officer all the details she could remember, including the sizable gray dog who saved her.
The officer replied, “Ma’am, did you get a look at the man’s face. Did you recognize the make of the van or get the license plate number?”
“I told you everything I can remember,” Elizabeth said, “he was wearing a ski mask. After the dog attacked him, two men jumped out of the white van, pulled him into the side door, and drove away. I didn’t recognize the make of the van or get the plate number.”
“Thank you, Ma’am. If we need anything else, we’ll be in touch.”
“Why don’t I get you home, Elizabeth?” said Jake. “We can talk about the dog on the way. I’ll have one of my staff pick up your car and take it home for you in the morning.”
After Elizabeth signed the release paperwork, the emergency room nurse wheeled her to the front door. Jake had pulled his SUV up to the entrance. He opened the door and helped her into the front seat.
“Oh, how cute! Is he yours?” asked Elizabeth, petting the tiny Yorkie sitting in the front seat beside her.
“That,” said Jake, “is your big gray dog.”
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Author Biography:
D.J.B Griffin was raised in Massachusetts and moved to North Carolina in 1991. For 30 years, she has been a therapist, college professor, and yoga and meditation teacher. Outside of writing, her passions are gardening, yoga, and kayaking. She has one son and lives in Greensboro, with her husband, Simon.
Social Media Links:
Twitter @DJBGriffin1