Samuel DenHartog's Blog: The Road to 1,440 - Posts Tagged "tintagel"

Beneath the Stones of Tintagel in "The Sorcerer's Key"

The journey from East Haven to Cornwall isn’t just a shift in setting. It’s a crossing into something older, something wilder. The cliffs and moors of Cornwall, especially near Tintagel, don’t just hold history, they pulse with it. The land feels like it’s waiting for someone to listen. For the girls at the heart of this story, stepping into that landscape means stepping into something much bigger than themselves.

These four witches have long shared a bond, but this time, the magic they face is more personal. It doesn’t ask them to fight. It asks them to choose. Each of them arrives in Cornwall carrying something different, uncertainty, curiosity, hope, or doubt, and the land responds to all of it. I wanted their magic to feel alive, tied to more than just spells and elements. It’s shaped by what they believe, what they fear, and how far they’re willing to go to protect one another or themselves.

Cornwall gave the story its breath, but Tintagel gave it its bones. I’ve always loved places where myth and landscape blur, and writing in that space allowed the story to shift between what’s real and what’s remembered. The girls aren’t just tested by what they find, they’re tested by what they want. And sometimes, those are the same thing.

What started as a story about magic quickly became a story about decisions, the quiet kind that change everything. These girls may come from East Haven, but the heart of their strength is forged among sea-worn stone and whispered legends. The rest of the story waits for you in "The Sorcerer’s Key."
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Published on August 08, 2025 16:51 Tags: coming-of-age, contemporary, cornwall, coven, elemental, fantasy, king-arthur, magic, merlin, teen, tintagel, witch, witches

The Road to 1,440

Samuel DenHartog
I'm Samuel DenHartog, and at 51, at the end of November of 2023, I've embarked on a remarkable journey as a writer. My diverse background in computer programming, video game development, and film prod ...more
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