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    The Hands of Time
    The Hands of Time
    The Hands of Time
    Ebook113 pages1 hour

    The Hands of Time

    By Laura Shinn

    ()

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    About this ebook

    A Spicy/Holiday Novelette – Lady Graciela Scott is imprisoned in a snow globe after seeing Lord Kennith Whittingham die, discovering his feelings for her too late. Now, centuries later, she is released when Ken Montgomery finds the globe and makes a Christmas wish.

    Graciela sees this new world as a frightening, but exciting and passionate, place. Ken looks enough like Lord Kennith to be his twin and she is drawn to him physically and emotionally. Within a very short time, Graciela falls in love with Ken.

    When secrets of the curse are revealed through an ancient journal, Graciela and Ken must find a solution to reverse the spell cast upon her or she will return to the snow globe forever. Will they succeed before the hands of time run out?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLaura Shinn
    Release dateJun 11, 2011
    ISBN9781458069054
    The Hands of Time
    Author

    Laura Shinn

    My writing didn't truly begin until I became a junior in high school. A friend encouraged me to write a short story, like the one he was writing, and I gave it a shot. It was a spin-off between Mork and Mindy and Star Wars. What it lacked in plot direction was replaced with adventure and fun dialogue. This first attempt accomplished its purposed and I was forever overtaken by the writing bug.Over the next few years I read like crazy, mostly historical novels. I didn't begin reading contemporaries until I got married several years later. I decided I wanted to write a time travel like the one my favorite author had written. Constance O'Day Flannery became my first inspiration to become a published author. {Since then I have had the honor of meeting and learning from many different authors: Suzanne Brockmann, Madeline Baker, Christine Feehan, Michele Bardsley, Jo Beverley and many more.}I love to read. New ideas for novels pop into my head at the most inconvenient times. The idea that you can create a magical or mysterious world with only the touch of your fingers to a keyboard encourages me to write more.While in college, at Howard Payne University in Brownwood Texas, I majored in English {minored in Art} and wanted desperately to become a published author. I've continued to work on my writing and designing skills and hope to one day achieve the same level of talent as many of my favorite authors.I have a wonderful husband, two boys, two dogs and two cats. We currently live in central Texas.I offer my clients design work for ebook and print, formatting and uploading only to Smashwords and Amazon.View my website for more details: http://laurashinn.yolasite.com.

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      Book preview

      The Hands of Time - Laura Shinn

      The Hands of Time

      Laura Shinn

      ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

      Smashwords Edition

      Copyright © 2011 Laura Shinn

      Cover Art Copyright © 2011 Laura Shinn Designs

      http://laurashinn.yolasite.com

      Digital ISBN: 978-1-4580-6905-4

      [Revised/2018]

      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 ebook with other people, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you are reading this ebook without purchasing it and 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.

      The Hands of Time is a work of fiction. Though the names of actual towns, cities, locations, and events may be mentioned, they are used in a fictitious manner and the majority of occurrences were invented in the mind and imagination of the author. Similarities of characters or names used within to any person, past, present, or future, are coincidental.

      ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

      Other books available by this author:

      FICTION

      Someone To Watch Over Me – Angels of the Realm series/Book 1

      A Matter of Trust – The Men of Wellington, Texas series/Book One

      Nightlife Anthology

      Night Hunter

      Conceived in Darkness

      Chances Are

      A Christmas Vow

      Underneath the Mistletoe

      The Hands of Time

      NON-FICTION

      Too Late: A Dramatic Play

      SIN: Origins, Consequences & Deliverance

      To view more of Laura Shinn’s stories or cover designs,

      visit: http://laurashinn.yolasite.com

      ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

      The Hands of Time

      Lady Graciela Scott is imprisoned in a snow globe after seeing Lord Kennith Whittingham die, discovering his feelings for her too late. Now, centuries later, she is released when Ken Montgomery finds the globe and makes a Christmas wish.

      Graciela sees this new world as a frightening, but exciting and passionate, place. Ken looks enough like Lord Kennith to be his twin and she is drawn to him physically and emotionally. Within a very short time, Graciela falls in love with Ken.

      When secrets of the curse are revealed through an ancient journal, Graciela and Ken must find a solution to reverse the spell cast upon her or she will return to the snow globe forever. Will they succeed before the hands of time run out?

      Reviews

      5 out of 5 stars / 29 Jan. 2015

      A romantic escape from winter blues!

      "I found this a great fun, escapist read – an imaginative flight of fancy. I read it on a cold, blustery winter's night, and it cheered me up to no end!"

      —Lucy F.

      (Previously appeared in A Christmas Collection Anthology: Spicy 2010)

      ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

      Chapter One

      England 1693

      Lady Graciela Scott refused to be put off once again. It became abundantly clear the only way in which she would be received at Whittingham Manor would be to simply up and ring the front bell. Rude behavior aside, this time she would be heard!

      Waiting impatiently, Graciela tapped her foot then gave it a little stomp when a full five minutes passed without an answer to the front door. She took five steps back, nearly losing her balance and falling down the steps leading to the veranda, which ran the length of the house.

      The massive establishment had been rumored to house twelve bedrooms somewhere within its three stories. Graciela looked up until she felt a strain in the back of her neck. Two large pillars appeared to stand guard on either side of the veranda’s entrance. One would think a traditional whitewash would be expected, but the owner opted to paint the pillars a dark, crimson red—simply scandalous! And without much taste in domestic fashion.

      Reaching inside her basket, she touched a loaf of bread and noticed all the contents were cooling rapidly.

      Enough of this silliness! Lord Kennith Whittingham could either answer his door or find an unexpected guest roaming his halls.

      Grabbing her skirts with one hand, she marched the five paces to the door, pounding once again and demanding entrance in a tenor that would turn heads, if anyone were within the sound of her voice. She counted to ten…then twenty…then thirty, all the way to sixty. She would simply need to find another entrance into the house.

      Walking to the far end of the porch, she took a daring leap over the tops of several bushes, trying to land safely on the other side. A resounding tear forced a rare curse from her mouth. She would beg the Lord God’s forgiveness later, once she found Lord Kennith’s father inside the house.

      Circling around to the back of the house, she found three maids soaking and scrubbing the day’s wash, then hanging it up to dry. Another maid sat under the shade of a large tree with two baskets and a large bowl, one basket held recently harvested pea stalks, and the other basket held the empty stalks, while the bowl slowly filled with crisp, fresh peas. If time allowed, she would have joined the maid under the tree, helping her with the chore. Peas were one of her favorite vegetables and she loved preparing them for Cook.

      A slamming door drew her attention to the back of the house where yet another maid walked toward the cool shade of a tree. Her basket held only apples, but many of the apple presses were kept outside.

      Everyone appeared to be too involved in their work to notice her presence, so she took advantage of the moment to walk quickly and quietly to the back door. She opened it and rushed inside, closing it quickly behind her. The sound piercing her ears was horrible. It suddenly became clear why all of the maids were finding a spot outside to do their chores—blessed peace and quiet.

      Graciela knew the shrill voice well. It belonged to Kennith’s mother, Lady Lisbeth Whittingham. Gossip said she possessed unearthly, wicked power and the hoard of it turned her mad. Graciela could well believe it, given the circumstances.

      She refused to be intimidated, however. She was on God’s errand of mercy and would see this bit of kindness through to the end. It was a small thing, really, this loaf of bread she made with her own hands and the fruit within the basket. Lord Irwin Whittingham befriended her last summer when she became ill, bringing her food and tasty treats from his kitchen. She never forgot the kindness, and in his sick hour, she meant to repay the favor. With or without the approval of his good lady and their son.

      Graciela cringed as the decibel in the house reached glass-breaking proportions.

      The old coot will not have a single visitor, Kennith, doest thou hear me? Not one! And most especially not such a…loose woman. Lady Graciela bearith not a kind title and her own actions speak clearly against her favor.

      Graciela dropped her jaw in shock. She believed the words to be quite funny, at first, knowing Lady Lisbeth only lapsed into the Old English when truly upset. Graciela’s good humor faded quickly, though. Loose woman? How ridiculous, and unfounded! Her actions were established by her good will, and she would stand righteous by the deeds of her heart.

      Remaining out of view, Graciela held herself completely motionless, listening to the conversation between son and mother, around the corner.

      "Where is your truth founded? You are quite mad, mother. Why would you claim ill intentions of Lady Graciela? To my understanding, father visited her out of kindness last year when death nearly claimed her from pneumonia. Others in the church visited during her time of sickness as well, so how do you explain your convictions? Did not our own Minister encourage such kindness from those who are able

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