Marne Denny
The Wings of Challinor is a sequel to The Promise of Challinor. $7.95USD
The Angel Key $6.95 USD
Novels are available for sale on Amazon as paperbacks and ebooks.
StarShine is a sequel to The Angel Key $6.95
Exciting, suspenseful, adventure stories for ages eleven and up.
The Promise of Challinor $7.95 USD
A Russian Legacy
This tells the story of Anastasia, a young girl living in England. She uncovers her history in Russia at great risk to her family. This is a story of love, danger, and reconciliation.
Chapter One
I t was a cold day in February. Dusk was approaching as the nurse reached the Center Street Orphanage. She was there to instruct the older girls in basic first aid. She stumbled and almost fell over a basket on the step blocking the doorway. She gasped as she looked down and saw a tiny face looking up from beneath a fleecy blanket. She opened the door and called out for anyone in hearing distance to come quickly. Two women nearby arrived and then went for the matron. The baby was taken into the matron’s study, where there was a fire burning – the only place of real comfort in the large, cold building. A doctor was called, and the baby was examined and found to be healthy and not malnourished. It was a little girl about two months old, they thought. There was nothing to identify the baby, but on her tiny ankle was an exquisite gold chain. A piece of paper was pinned to her clothing with the name Tasha Louise written on it. The baby had on a white satin dress covered with pink rosebuds. It wasn’t a pretty baby. The eyes were too large and the mouth too small, but the hair was unusual. A light color like spun gold framed the tiny face. They called the police and the hospitals, but there was no trace of the mother. Time went by, and the baby stayed at the orphanage, but no one ever came for her. The years passed, and Tasha grew up to be a quiet girl, reserved, not demanding, never forming any real friendships with the other children in the orphanage. She had developed into a girl of unusual beauty, but seemed entirely oblivious of her beauty, even when she reached the age of fourteen.
Excerpt from The Promise of Challinor Chapter Ten Cetus
The river wound and twisted its way through high caves and narrow corridors. They had left the Stone Hocker in his crazed position on the shore far behind. There was only silence, and the sound of the oars dipping in the water. The river seemed to go on forever, and David’s arms were beginning to ache from the constant pulling and pushing on the oars.
"I'll row for a while, David," Margaret offered.
"Okay, but wait till we reach that rock ahead. I can make it till there. Interesting how it looks like an archway, hey Meg."
"Yes, it does. Look at the light through the arch. It's a weird green colour. Hey, what's that stink? Gee, that's awful."
"Yea, almost like rotten meat or eggs or something."
"It's worse than that."
They were drawing near to the archway. The boat drifted in close and bumped against the rock. Margaret crawled to the middle seat in the boat and began to row through the opening. They were in a quiet green pool, a mist rising above it to mingle with the strange greenish light. Across the pool, the river separated and entered two narrow tunnels. At the side of the pool, the land sloped upwards into a black tunnel in the rock.
What a strange place. It gives me the creeps. It feels like it did in that big cave with all the stones, when we felt like we were being watched."
"Gee Meg, you're starting to give me the creeps now. Row towards that tunnel of water on your left."
"David, David,1 saw two eyes, over there; look, over there."
"Aw, cut it out Meg."
"No, honest, I did."
David looked. "There's nothing there."
The surface of the water was empty. Before it had been still and now it was moving slightly in a series of ripples disappearing outwards. David looked puzzled. "I'd better row, Meg. Crawl back over here. They changed places and David began to row quickly towards the tunnel of water on the left. The water was becoming choppy and the boat began to lift and fall with the waves. Margaret held on, her eyes glued to the spot where she thought she had seen the eyes. The rotten smell rose from the surface of the water and filled their nostrils till they felt they might choke with it. It was an eerie picture, the little boat moving slowly through the greenish haze and sickening stench in the silent pool. Margaret heard it first — a faint hissing sound. It stopped, and then started again. It was becoming louder. David had stopped rowing and was listening. They had their jackets up around their noses and looked at each other, their eyes confused and wondering. Suddenly, the hissing stopped and the water stilled around them. David started to row again, his face taking on a brave determined look. They were nearly to the opening when the water began to churn violently around them. Under the water, a dark object moved.
Excerpt from The Wings of Challinor
They spent the next two days visiting Liselin’s favorite places. On Sally’s last day Liselin was taking them to a pond in the woods some distance from the chateau where a special bird often sat. It was a lovely day; a perfect way to spend Sally’s last day. Suddenly they heard a loud piercing cry. “Stop. Someone’s hurt” Margaret yelled. It came again a long agonizing sound, followed by some short stacatto like expletives echoing in the still air, “prub, prub, frab, frab, frab. traf, traf, traf!”
“Oh that’s just Derf singing” Liselin laughed. “He likes to believe he is in an opera. Come, I’ll take you.”
They followed her through a wood to their right. When they emerged on the other side they saw the smallest house they had ever seen, with tiny windows and a tiny door. Sitting in front of the house on the biggest chair they had ever seen sat the largest fattest woman they had ever seen, fast asleep. Beside her stood a little bald man standing very erect at attention and marching in one spot up and down and up and down. He wore long shorts over bony knees and had socks and shiny black shoes. He stopped singing when he saw them and shouted at the top of his lungs: “Ma, wake up. Visytors.” She sputtered and mumbled “Oh dern and blast it! What’s goin on?”
“I told ye Ma. Visytors.”
“May I introduce Derf and Aderf Nedrub to you all. They are the keepers of the wood” said Liselin.
They continued their walk to the pond but the lighthearted feeling had gone from the day. Even Sally wasn’t resorting to her nervous giggling.
“What do the keepers of the woods do” David asked?
“They keep the birds out” Liselin laughed merrily.
“Keep the birds out?”
“Trespassers, silly” she said
“I wouldn’t think he could keep anybody out,” David said.
“He has a very big gun,” Liselin smiled
When it came time for Sally to leave, Margaret found herself uneasy. This is silly she thought to herself. I’ll be off with David soon.
Excerpt from StarShine
She rounded the corner and was out of sight of Lee. There wasn’t anyone in sight. It was now or never. She ran faster than she had ever run in her life. When she reached container #15 she noticed a small space between it and the next container - #16. She had small hands and could reach one hand into the small space. It was empty. She pushed deeper into the space and felt something. It felt like a small piece of plastic. She couldn’t get hold of it. She glanced around. Any minute someone might come. One final shove with her entire body thrusting her arm in further and she had the tip of the plastic between two fingers. I was difficult to pull. It kept slipping out. “Calm down, go slowly,” she told herself. She tried again. She had moved it. Now a little more, a little more and she had it. She pulled it out carefully and thrust it into her brassier. She flopped over just in time. Lee came around the corner at the end of the ship. “Elisabet, what are you doing?” “I ran too fast. I can’t breathe.” “That is most silly,” he said in English. “Let us go back now.”
Excerpt from The Angel Key
Millie was a stern-looking lady, but friendly enough. They ate juicy lamb chops with creamy potatoes and salad. It was delicious and wonderful. They were finishing peach pie when they heard the outer door open. A tall, dark-haired man stood at the kitchen door. Flora sat still and stared. She had never seen such a handsome man in her life. His dark hair flopped over his forehead, and his eyes were the most startling blue she had ever seen. He looked at her with a quizzical expression on his face. “And who might this be?” he asked. “This is Flora,” John said. “And who is Flora?” Flora was suddenly conscious of her bedraggled appearance. Her old jeans and tee-shirt, none too clean; her messy hair and her mouth full of peach pie. “She’s our friend; Lillie’s and mine.” “Yes, but where does she come from?” he asked. Suddenly, she found her voice. “She comes out of the sea and will return to the sea as soon as she is finished this wonderful repast. And who are you and where do you come from?” Lilly giggled, and John looked surprised, but the handsome man looked angry. “This is Marek, my brother,” John said. Flora was trembling. What a pompous ass, she thought. Just because he was so good-looking didn’t mean it was okay to be so rude. He walked out of the kitchen. “Never mind him, Flora. He’s just like that. When are we going to start looking for the treasure?” John whispered. “Soon, John. Really soon. We’ll talk about it, okay.”