William H. Russeth's Blog

A Tale of Lughnasa

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The One Thing You Don't Know About My Novels

If somebody asked me, “What is it the one thing I do not know about your novels?”, the answer would be that my first three novels, Fires of Belenus, Cult of Camulos, and Swords of Artaius comprise a trilogy. Each is the story of a young man transforming from a naïve youngster into a ruthless warrior chief, whom when provoked, becomes a monster, given to fits of rage viewed as demonic possession by his peers. The story has been described as Mr. Hyde meets Cu Chulainn the Irish folk hero. Eoan, son of Athair is corrupted, by travails and personal loss that slowly transform him into a ruthless killer. The demonic episodes become more violent and harder to control until he fully evolves into the ruthless warrior, Artaius the Bear.  




Each story is an adventure that ramps up the severity of the ordeals Eoan must overcome. Initially, he must save a young woman he loves from being sacrificed to Belenus, the god of fire. In Cult of Camulos he is enslaved by Romans and must fight his way home to protect his family from Ualu the greatest warrior in Celtica. In Swords of Artaius his tribe is being overrun by an invasion of Cimbri Warriors and after losing all that is dear in his life, he transforms completely, losing all but a shred of his humanity and launches a merciless, one-man assault on the invaders. He struggles to find his way back to sanity with the comfort of Lughin, but the gods always demand a “price.”

Central to the conflict is his great sword Clach na Adhar, hence the series title “Sword Saga.” I admit it is a Mcguffin, a constant thread helping weave the plotlines together. Each novel stands alone, but I suggest you read them in order. 
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Book I: Fires of Belenus, Book 2: Cult of Camulos, Book 3: Swords of Artaius

2018 Epic Ebook Award Finalist, Historical Fiction.

“Engrossing and entertaining historical fiction …” (Vr.Prch.)



“Wow what a story...I could not put it down once….” (Vr.Prch.)



“Truly a pleasure and escape to read.” (Vr.Prch.)



“… Belerion Odyssey is the best historical novel I have read during the past year.”



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Pensthisilia, the real Wonder Woman?

Penthisilia could have been the original Wonder Woman. She was the Amazon Queen, who fought for  Troy dressed as a man. She was so fierce, Achilles was sent to kill her. He did not know she was a woman until after he struck her down.  When he removed her helmet and gazed into her beautiful eyes, he fell in love; to late, for she was dead.  #wonder



woman

Noble King Arthur?

Here is a Fun Fact that seems to be omitted from modern King Arthur movies and versions of the legend. In Malory's rendition the noble king shared his bed with his sister Morgause and she gave birth to an incestuous son, Modred. When Merlin foresaw the trouble Modred would cause, he advised Arthur to murder the child. But there was a snag. They did not know which child in the realm was Modred. They only knew his birthday. So they devised a plan to round up all the children born on that day, place them in a boat, set it adrift on the sea, and sink it. All the children drowned, save one, Modred, who managed to survive to be the bane of Arthur's existence.  Perhaps justly so.

Belerion Odyssey Video

Announcing Belerion Odyssey

Belerion
Odyssey is the fourth novel penned by William Russeth. The novel is set on
the ancient Mediterranean Sea, circa 480 BC. The
story tracks the adventures of a runaway Helot slave, who falls in with a band
of pirates after he kills the Spartans that were sent to murder him during the
rite of Krypteia. Like William Russeth’s other tales, the story blends fiction,
history, and mythology to create compelling characters, intriguing plot lines,
and a narrative that takes readers to the ends of the ancient world.”



It was just a bit of gold and a map etched on an ancient medallion; gifts from Poseidon, found on the ocean floor, neither enough proof to convince anyone to search for treasure. That is—unless you are a runaway Helot slave with nowhere to run or a pirate with no place to hide. Then the promise of finding Jason’s fabled treasure with the woman of your dreams could only be good fortune beyond your wildest dreams. That is—until you realize your closest shipmate is the Spartan who is hunting you and the love of your life may be an incarnation of Medea, the monstrous witch.




What They are Saying About Belerion Odyssey



“Mutiny, kidnapping, betrayal, revenge, witchery, jealousy, and a dragon are just some of the elements that enliven this action-packed tale. It’s not the usual fare for a pirate adventure, but it’s a fresh change of pace from the more common Caribbean ones. Russeth skillfully interweaves myth, history and pirates to transport readers back to ancient times. Belerion Odyssey is a grand quest with an exotic flare that is sure to satisfy readers of historical fiction and pirate fans alike.”  -  Cindy Vallar, Editor

Pirates and Privateers  (Reviewed in April, 2017 issue)



TITLE: Belerion
Odyssey                               GENRE:
Historical Fiction



EBOOK ISBN: 978-1-61309-288-0               PAPERBACK ISBN: 978-1-61309-708-3   



AUTHOR: William
Russeth                            AVAILABLE: Amazon, BN, Smashwords, Kobo     

Blarney���s Price, A Gentle Kiss ��� But Be of Stout Heart

Theline started in front of the tower���s door and wound up uncountable turns to thetop of the spire. Looking down into the ring of stairs made me dizzy. I had tokeep my eyes on my feet and a hand on the rail. Slowly we proceeded, step bystep, round and round, emerging at the top of the ramparts of Blarney Castle. Thevast panorama of Eire came into view, lush emerald fields, endlessly checkeredwith hedges and stone walls.

Theline edged forward slowly. Ever determined, Jan moved eagerly with eachadvance. Finally, we were there. Jan stepped forward. Two strong young men grabbedher forcefully ready to sling her backwards under the ramparts and over the wall.She would hang in space, nearly upside-down, fifty or sixty feet above theground. They assured me there was no danger. A net of chicken wire had beenplaced ten feet below the stone several years ago to catch her fall.

Agentle blush of rose filled her checks. Her hazel eyes dazzled with expectation.Over and under she went, lips pursed, ready to grace the legendary stone. Igasped as her lovely head and supple torso disappeared under the ramparts. She strainedand stretched for her reward. Her body taut with exertion, suddenly relaxed andthe attendants knew she had completed the task. Beaming and bright, she emergedfrom under the wall having kissed the Stone at Blarney Castle. She hugged metightly and I whispered in her ear,

 ���Oh, what great beauty, does thou possess to

Gracethis world with your sweet breath,

Gracethis hand with your gentle touch,

Gracethis soul with your discerning glance,

Piercethis heart with love���s sharp lance.���

A voice silky soft as morning dew caught myear, ���Cut the Blarney you old fool.���

Blarney’s Price, A Gentle Kiss … But Be of Stout Heart

The
line started in front of the tower’s door and wound up uncountable turns to the
top of the spire. Looking down into the ring of stairs made me dizzy. I had to
keep my eyes on my feet and a hand on the rail. Slowly we proceeded, step by
step, round and round, emerging at the top of the ramparts of Blarney Castle. The
vast panorama of Eire came into view, lush emerald fields, endlessly checkered
with hedges and stone walls.




The
line edged forward slowly. Ever determined, Jan moved eagerly with each
advance. Finally, we were there. Jan stepped forward. Two strong young men grabbed
her forcefully ready to sling her backwards under the ramparts and over the wall.
She would hang in space, nearly upside-down, fifty or sixty feet above the
ground. They assured me there was no danger. A net of chicken wire had been
placed ten feet below the stone several years ago to catch her fall.




A
gentle blush of rose filled her checks. Her hazel eyes dazzled with expectation.
Over and under she went, lips pursed, ready to grace the legendary stone. I
gasped as her lovely head and supple torso disappeared under the ramparts. She strained
and stretched for her reward. Her body taut with exertion, suddenly relaxed and
the attendants knew she had completed the task. Beaming and bright, she emerged
from under the wall having kissed the Stone at Blarney Castle. She hugged me
tightly and I whispered in her ear,




 “Oh, what great beauty, does thou possess to

Grace
this world with your sweet breath,

Grace
this hand with your gentle touch,

Grace
this soul with your discerning glance,

Pierce
this heart with love’s sharp lance.”






A voice silky soft as morning dew caught my
ear, “Cut the Blarney you old fool.”

In 480 BC the most significant event may not have been Salamis

In 480 BC the most significant battle may not have been the battle of Salamis, where the coalition of Greek city-states defeated the   massive Persian armada. At nearly the exact same moment in time Gelos, Tyrant of Syracuse, and Theron, Tyrant of Agrigentum, , defeated the full might of the Carthaginian empire at the battle of Himera. Hamilar, the king of Carthage, sent an army of over 60,000 troops and 200 hundred ships to establish control over the island of  




Temple of  Concord is the only one  still standing 

Sicily. After the defeat Hamilar committed suicide and Carthage was forced to pay Sicily 2,000 talents in silver in reparations. The  defeat of Carthage and Peloponnesian Wars that ensued allowed the Republic of Rome to develop and grow unimpeded.  The case could be made that the battle of Himera impacted the  history of Europe more than the defeat of the Persians at  Salamis. Syracuse used the 2000 talents of silver to build 16  temples in a valley near Agrigentum to thank the gods for their  victory. Though never included, it must have been  one of the Wonders of the Ancient World. 






Over 16  temples were constructed to give thanks for the victory.