Thursday, February 16, 2012

Blind Speed Dating #69

Title: CAMELOT FOUND
Genre: YA fantasy
Word Count: 76,000

Query:

Seventeen year old Gwen Masterson wants to escape her boring Iowa farm life, but she never expected to find a book that takes her back in time to Camelot. It’s a dream come true for bookish Gwen until she discovers she’s nothing more than a pawn in a dangerous game between two legendary sorcerers – Morgana and Merlin – as they attempt to change the course of history.

Merlin’s scheme is simple: find a strong woman from the future to change the past by becoming Arthur's wife and creating a new legend. Merlin believes a modern girl will be the high queen Arthur needs, thwarting Morgana’s attempt to kill Arthur and steal the throne. That girl… is Gwen. It’s the perfect plan, except Arthur treats headstrong Gwen with contempt and Gwen wants nothing to do with the arrogant boy king. Camelot would be almost bearable if her unwanted wedding to Arthur was Gwen’s only problem. Thanks to Merlin's meddling, Gwen is now at the top of Morgana's 'people to kill' list. Worse, Gwen’s younger brother Leigh becomes Morgana’s prisoner when he discovers the book and follows Gwen to Camelot in a botched rescue attempt. In comparison, the lack of indoor plumbing doesn’t seem so bad any more.

Now alone in Camelot, Gwen must rescue her brother and find her way back home without falling prey to Morgana – yet her wedding to Arthur grows closer by the day. Caught in the crossfire in a battle to craft a new future, failure isn’t an option for Gwen, for whoever controls the past will reign supreme.

A modern re-imagining of the Camelot legend, CAMELOT FOUND is a YA Fantasy novel with romantic elements and is complete at 76,000 words. It is the first installment in an intended trilogy, with the main storyline based in both the modern and medieval worlds. It will appeal to fans of Arthurian literature, Meg Cabot’s AVALON HIGH, and the BBC show MERLIN.

First 250:

“It is agreed. The wedding preparations shall commence within a fortnight.”

Arthur felt numb, staring straight ahead so he didn’t betray any thoughts or emotions. There should have been a gavel striking the well-worn oak table to echo through the great hall of the keep as much as those words did in his mind. It didn’t matter to the Province Kings that he was the King of all England. To them, he was the boy-made-king, a commoner who had pulled Uther Pendragon’s sword from the stone four years ago. They saw him as nothing more than a pawn, and were content to decide his fate in a Council of Elders as easily as they chose where they would next to go to war.

‘Let the petty Kings have their way,’ Merlin always said after one of Arthur’s tantrums. ‘Now is not the time for arguments.’

Well, as far as Arthur was concerned, controlling his marital life was far beyond petty and he intended to oppose it. Arthur began to rise to his feet, mouth open and fist poised to slam on the table when Merlin grabbed his tabard and pulled him back into his seat. His butt hit the unforgiving wood with a dull thud and Arthur swore under his breath at the sudden pain.

“Let me say something,” Arthur hissed, shooting a glare in Merlin’s direction. “I am not going to sit idly by and let them decide my life!”

“That is exactly what you’re going to do,” Merlin replied, looking straight ahead.

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