Statesboro Native Releases First Volume of The Year of the Red Door

STATESBORO, Ga. - Dec. 5, 2015 - PRLog -- The Bellringer, which is the first volume of the five-volume fantasy epic, The Year of the Red Door, was released this week by Penflight Books.

William Timothy Murray, a native of Statesboro, Georgia, relates that certain aspects of his tale are based on his experiences while growing up in what once was a small southern town.   "There was a time when Statesboro really had a small-town feel to it," he says.  "Everyone pretty much knew or knew of everyone else.  You were never far from farmlands and forest."

He goes on to say that the fictional town of Passdale, although even smaller than the Statesboro of the 1960s, is something of an idealized version of his hometown.   And though the setting of the story is more akin to the 15th or 16th Century than to present day, certain aspects of Southern lore and life thread their way into the story, he states (such as "pernicious" kudzu, a vine that makes an appearance in Volume 3 of The Year of the Red Door).   "I don't think I ever made a conscious effort to artificially insert such things into the story," he goes on.  "It just worked out that way for the sake of the tale."

The Bellringer was released internationally via a variety of distributors and sellers, in print, epub, and Kindle editions.    Further volumes to the story are expected to be ready for release in the upcoming months.

The Bellringer opens The Year of the Red Door by introducing the reader to Robby Ribbon, a young store clerk, who rings an enchanted bell.   It turns out that Robby is destined for greatness. Ringing the bell is first demonstration of powers unique to him, powers he must discover, refine, and use during a quest that is forced upon him, one that will ultimately lead him to the throne.

"I make no secret that Robby will become King," Murray says.  "But how?  What price must he and others pay?   How will Robby be changed?   And what difference can he make, anyway, even as King?"


About The Bellringer:

For centuries, the Great Bell was silent...

It remained undisturbed, nearly forgotten by history, hidden away in the ruins of an abandoned fortress.   The enchantments within its iron slumbered, its secrets protected by silence.   Until someone discovered how to ring the Bell, other secrets would remain safe.

One day, while running an errand, a young store clerk took a wrong turn, then another, until he found himself deep within the old fortress where the Great Bell waited.

It waited for him.

And when the hapless clerk rang the Great Bell and released its enchantments, his troubles began.

For he had become the Bellringer.

He claimed it was all an accident, that he did not mean to ring the Bell.   Fate, it seemed, thought otherwise, and proof of the Bellringer's destiny began to emerge just as the world spiraled into war.   Revolt and treachery worked to break apart the Seven Realms.   Armies were on the march.   The faraway King, obsessed with his own power, seemed unwilling or unable to prevent the looming catastrophe.

Perhaps a new King was needed...if only someone could penetrate the secret of the King's power and take the throne before it was too late.   It was foretold that the person who discovered the True Name of the King would become the next King.   But who was capable of such a thing?


About The Year of the Red Door:
The Year of the Red Door has begun, and four months have already passed by.   This is the story of the final 244 days.

Uncanny things are taking place in the world, mysterious powers are stirring, and there are signs of coming change.   Like pieces on a gameboard, ancient forces are moving into position, gathering strength.   Many sense the portents and see the signs, but few know their meaning.   Fewer still understand what must be done.   But who is there to do it?

In only 244 days, six intrepid travelers must cross thousands of miles, to the far edge of the world, to find a place that may not even exist.   A legendary place called Griferis where a new king may be prepared, trained, and judged for worthiness.   It is their bid to find that place, to discover the secret Name of the King, and to make one of their companions the new King.   But hope is thin, and time runs out.   Can the Name be found?   Can the Usurper use it to take the throne?   And will it make any difference?   It already seems too late.

In the spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien and Charles Dickens comes a new heroic tale, a story of ageless love and brave determination, of tragic loss and the hope of redemption.   During this quest, mythic powers arise from the ancient past, fate collides with destiny, and the world edges swiftly to its final destruction or to its ultimate fulfillment.   Only the Bellringer can tip the balance of fate, but the world is almost out of time...

For more information, visit http://www.TheYearOfTheRedDoor.com