Anna Chant's Blog, page 12
December 1, 2018
Rising from the Ruins – now in paperback
I was determined to get the paperback edition of Rising from the Ruins out in time for the 1st of December and last night it was confirmed, with just hours to spare that it was live!
It hasn’t been linked with the ebook yet, but hopefully that will happen in the next few days. Until then, this is the link for
Remember – books make great Christmas gifts![image error]
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November 30, 2018
Happy St Andrew’s Day!
Wishing all Scots and Scots at heart a very happy St Andrew’s Day!
To find out why St Andrew is Scotland’s patron saint read a St Andrew’s Day short story, a prequel to Kenneth’s Queen in this post – Scotland’s patron saint[image error]
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November 27, 2018
Kenneth’s Queen – Bargain Price!
To celebrate St Andrew’s Day later this week, Kenneth’s Queen is just 99c or 99p.
What’s the story all about?
In a Scotland of Picts and Gaels, one man dominates.
The Hardy. the Conqueror. The Uniter: Cinaed Mac Alpin.
But who was the woman at his side?
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November 23, 2018
It’s Otto’s birthday!
Today (23rd Nov) I am celebrating the birthday of a much loved and significant character of two books – Otto the Great, born on this day in 912. [image error]
In 929/30 Otto makes a clumsy first appearance near the beginning of The Saxon Marriage as he is introduced as a 17-year-old to English princess, Eadgythof Wessex. It’s a dynastic arrangement, but will romance blossom for the young pair?
By 951 Otto is the most powerful man in Europe. But will he be able to help Adelheid, the widowed Italian queen, in her time of trouble? Find out in God’s Maidservant.
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Now, what sort of present do you give to an emperor?
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November 16, 2018
Nancy Jardine presents ‘Agricola’s Bane’
[image error]Dark Age Voices is stepping even further back in time today as I welcome historical fiction author, Nancy Jardine who is here to tell us about her fabulous new release, Agricola’s Bane…
Hello Anna, thank you for the invitation to visit your blog!
It’s an exciting week for me, and I’m absolutely delighted that I have something brand new to share with your readers. Agricola’s Bane, the 4th book in my highly acclaimed Celtic Fervour Series, was published on the 15th November 2018 with Ocelot Press.
The series is set some centuries earlier than some of your own work, since my focus has been on writing about late-first-century northern Roman Britain. The first two books of the series are mainly located in Brigante territory which is now roughly present-day Yorkshire and Cumbria. By Book 3, the action moves into ‘Scotland’ and Agricola’s Bane (Book 4) is set in present-day Aberdeenshire and Moray.
[image error]Statue of Agricola in Frejus, his birthplace
I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that the Ancient Romans came to Scotland, yet didn’t settle here in the way they did in other parts of Europe. More recently, I’ve been even more engrossed in what made General Gnaeus Iulius Agricola march his legions almost to Inverness only to retreat from northern Scotland within a year or so, some evidence for this having been excavated at Inchtuthil Roman Fortress (Perthshire).
The archaeology of Ancient Roman finds in Scotland is an absorbing subject, organic (in the broadest sense) and often enlightening, but without having delved into it, I would not have had enough information to write Agricola’s Bane, because actual written sources are almost non-existent.
Book 4 continues the tales of my Celtic Garrigill warrior clan – this time featuring Enya, one of the younger Garrigill clan members. The date at the outset of Agricola’s Bane is mid-November AD 84 and the location is Caledon territory. The Late Iron Age tribal warriors, who have survived a very recent battle against the Ancient Roman armies, take refuge in the hills (Cairngorm Mountains). General Agricola continues to march north-west, towards Vacomagi Territory (Moray Firth) in his quest to claim even more terrain for the Roman Empire, yet discovers he is thwarted by more than local warriors who continue to be very adept at guerrilla warfare. Going anywhere near the Roman legions means risking a stabbing death under a Roman gladius but Enya of Garrigill, and her companions, must also evade the traitorous Vacomagi who have signed up for Roman coin!
[image error]Here is a little bit more from the blurb….
AD 84 Northern Roman Britain
Nith of Tarras aids Enya of Garrigill in the search for her kin, missing after the disastrous battle at Beinn na Ciche fought between the Caledon warriors and the mighty Legions of Rome. Enya soon has a heartrending choice to make – should she tread Vacomagi territory that’s swarming with Roman auxiliaries to find her brother? Or, should she head south in search of her cousin who has most likely been taken captive by the soldiers of Agricola?
General Gnaeus Iulius Agricola – Commander of the Britannic Legions and Governor of Britannia – is determined to claim more barbarian territory for the Roman Empire, indeed plans to invade the whole island, but finds not all decisions are his to make. It increasingly seems that the goddess, Fortuna, does not favour him.
The adventures of the Garrigill clan continue…
To Buy: http://mybook.to/ABsherenow
Both ebook and paperback are now available to buy on Amazon. There will be a local (to me) paperback launch on the 22nd November 2018 at the Garioch Heritage Centre, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire. At this event, I’ll be giving a PowerPoint presentation on Roman Aberdeenshire before the Book Signing session. All welcome.
Bio:
Nancy Jardine writes contemporary mysteries; historical fiction and time-travel historical adventure. Her current historical focus is Roman Scotland, an engrossing pre-history era because her research depends highly on keeping abreast of recent archaeological findings.
A member of the Romantic Novelists Association, the Scottish Association of Writers, the Federation of Writers Scotland and the Historical Novel Society, her work has achieved finalist status in UK competitions.
She lives in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, with her husband but life is never quiet or boring since her young grandchildren are her next-door neighbours. She regularly child minds them, those days being cherished and laughter filled.
You can find her at these places:
Blog: http://nancyjardine.blogspot.co.uk
Website: www.nancyjardineauthor.com/
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/XeQdkG & http://on.fb.me/1Kaeh5G
email: nan_jar@btinternet.com Twitter https://twitter.com/nansjar
Amazon Author page http://viewauthor.at/mybooksandnewspagehere
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5139590.Nancy_Jardine
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November 5, 2018
Meet Oswyth
Yesterday I introduced you to Siward of Gloucester, the male protagonist of Rising from the Ruins. Today it is the turn of Oswyth, the main female character. She is completely fictional, so my imagination has run even more riot with her than Siward!
In 1066 Oswyth is 10 years old. She is the daughter of a minor Somerset nobleman, with her grandfather ranked as Thegn. Her childhood so far has been good. She is the adored only child of her parents, although a sibling is on the way and, oblivious to any political tensions in the realm, she expects her life to continue that way.
When her father is summoned to fight at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, her mother and grandfather hide their concerns and her father too appears confident as he bids her farewell. Oswyth expects her father to soon return and the report of the triumph at Stamford Bridge only confirms how invincible her strong, handsome father is. The reports of Hastings – 14th October 1066 turns her world upside down, when news arrives that her father is dead. When her mother dies in childbirth a few weeks later, along with her baby brother, Oswyth’s devastation is complete.
After that day, Oswyth is raised by her grandfather, Thegn Raedwulf. The old man has always doted on his little granddaughter, but as his only remaining kin, his devotion intensifies. With her only guidance coming from a grieving, indulgent grandfather, Oswyth grows up rather more willful and opinionated than is proper for an 11th-century young lady!
[image error]With her happy childhood over, Oswyth remains devoted to the memory of her dead father, while terrified for her future. As her grandfather’s only heir, it is a near certainty she will have to one day marry one of the invaders.
Although she hates the Normans for everything they are doing to her country, her grief has focussed her anger over her father’s death, not on the Norman who killed him, but the Englishman whose momentary error led to the slaughter.
Over time the anger bubbles beneath the surface, but by the start of the book in 1073 when she is seventeen years old, it no longer dominates her thoughts. Why should it? After all, she’s not likely to meet Siward of Gloucester again, is she?
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Guest Post on the blog of Mary Anne Yard
I look at the life and time of Cinaed Mac Alpin, hero of Kenneth’s Queen on the blog of Arthurian fiction author, Mary Anne Yarde
November 4, 2018
Meet Siward of Gloucester
With Rising from the Ruins to be released on 7th November 2018, meet Siward of Gloucester, the male protagonist. Although based on a real historical figure, virtually nothing is known about this man, so I have been free to let my imagination run riot!
Siward is the only surviving son of a prominent nobleman, holding the title of Eorl as well as large estates. Siward has inherited these upon the death of his father, shortly after the ascension of Harold Godwinson. Although aged just seventeen, he proves to be a capable landowner and when he is summoned to fight at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, he faces his first real test of leadership. After the battle, the opinion of older, respected warriors is unanimous – Siward is a success.
[image error]Delighted by this, he is confident of playing a prominent role in defeating the Norman invasion. But, as we all know, the English face a very different fate when they face their foes at Hastings – 14th October 1066. Siward survives the battle but returns home a changed man. He is not yet eighteen years old, but the exuberant boy is gone.
By the time the story starts in 1073, Siward’s situation has only got worse. Stubborn in nature, he has refused to submit to Duke William and has played a prominent role in the rebellions. As a result, many of his lands have been confiscated and bestowed on the Norman companions of the man, Siward refuses to acknowledge as king.
However, worse than that is the internal torments. If Siward was a soldier today, he would probably be diagnosed with PTSD. But this is the 11th century, so all he can do is struggle on, coping alone with flashbacks, nightmares and panic attacks and only occasionally self-medicating with alcohol.
Is there any way this broken man can become the hero England needs?
Rising from the Ruins (Quest for New England, Bk1) is available for pre-order until it goes live on 7th November 2018.[image error]
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October 13, 2018
Hastings – 14th October 1066
Commemorating the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings with a brief snippet of my upcoming new release, Rising from the Ruins.
Prologue: October 14th 1066
The cries of the wounded slashed his ears, the clash of weaponry continued relentlessly on. The wyvern on the standard above him fluttered bravely and hopelessly. It was obvious he was about to die. His shield was in splinters. Only his mail shirt and sword stood between him and the axe of the man of before him. As the man raised it, he took a deep breath, the peculiar battle stench of blood, sweat and horse dung scorching his nostrils, terrified it would be his last.
With all the strength of a desperate man he blocked the blow but the weight of the axe sent vibrations up his arms. Fatally his sweaty hand lost its grip on the sword, just for an instant, but an instant was all it took for it to slip from his grasp. He scrambled for it, knowing the axe would strike him before he could reach it.
But as he waited for the blow to fall, a man came from behind him. A man quick enough to get between him and the axe, quick enough to push a spear in the direction of the foe but not quick enough to drive it in, before the axe fell, biting into his neck.
He had heard many a desperate cry that day but none more than the one his rescuer gave as he collapsed to the ground. With his sword now back in his grasp, he forced it at the foe, thrusting it in before he had time to raise his axe again, pushing it deeply. Another cry rent the air but this one brought him only satisfaction.
Forgetting the foe he had slain, he bent over his rescuer, seeing under the helmet blue eyes filled with despair…
Rising from the Ruins, Book One of ‘Quest for New England’ is nearing completion. Expect more news very soon!
For more information, see Quest for New England begins! and New Beginnings
[image error]Battle scene: Ilkin Zeferli/Shutterstock.com Cover image – Man: Elena Sherengovskaya/Shutterstock.com Cover image – Woman: Faestock/Shutterstock.com
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October 1, 2018
Judith of Flanders – the Wessex years
On 1st October 856 the young Frankish princess, Judith married King Athelwulf of Wessex and was anointed, Queen of Wessex. She had two brief tenures as Queen of Wessex. The first from 856 – 858. The second from 858 – 860. After this she returned to West Francia. Such a short period of time might not normally see a big change in personality, but for Judith this period covered many of her teenage years. She left (by our standards) a child and returned a young woman and there seems to have been a shift in her character.
In 856 Judith was, as far as we can tell, a dutiful Frankish girl, obedient to her father’s commands. Upon her return she had become confident enough to take her destiny into her own hands and rebellious enough to not care what her formidable father, Charles the Bald, and the Church had to say about it. Charles must have wondered what had gone wrong!
[image error]By Unknown – http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Royal_MS_14_B_V, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28008694
To our modern eyes Judith’s first marriage as a young girl to a man old enough to be her grandfather is the outrageous one, while the second, although she was still too young for marriage by our standards, does seem a bit more reasonable. But for her contemporaries it was the other way round. Her first was a respectable and advantageous match, while the second was considered incestuous. Whatever our opinions on the marriages, it seems reasonable to assume that those two men were a significant influence on Judith during her adolescent years and their guardianship must have played a part in allowing Judith to emerge into that confident, but rebellious young woman.
We can only speculate on the relationship Judith had with her first husband, King Athelwulf of Wessex, a man around forty years her senior. The only clue we get is from the Annals of St Bertin and Asser’s Life of King Alfred, both of which stress that Athelwulf was very keen to honour her as his queen. Upon his return to Wessex he had to make significant compromises to his position as king, but one thing he would not budge on was Judith’s position and her right to share his throne. It seems he was determined to show deference and respect to the young Frankish girl. And according to Asser this deference was also shown by the nobles of Wessex without opposition.
We might imagine a girl as young as Judith being horrified by marriage to an old man, but was she? Judith was a woman of her time. For her it was an advantageous marriage in terms of her position. Athelwulf had a reputation for dealing well with the Vikings and had been held in respect by the Pope and, perhaps more importantly for Judith, by her father. To be elevated to the position of queen, anointed by the influential archbishop, Hincmar of Rheims, treated with deference by her highly regarded husband and so honoured by his subjects must have been heady stuff for a teenage girl. Is it any wonder her confidence soared?
But would he have encouraged any rebellious tendencies? That seems unlikely. He was highly religious and it seems far more likely he considered duty and responsibility to be desirable qualities in a young woman, however confident. So what unleashed her rebellious side? Are there any clues in her second marriage?
[image error]By Unknown – http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Royal_MS_14_B_VI, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27947424
King Athelbald of Wessex is one of those kings we don’t know much about.He was Athelwulf’s oldest surviving son and had helped him win a significant victory over the Vikings at Aclea. He was left in charge of Wessex when Athelwulf went on pilgrimage to Rome, but rebelled against his father on his return, refusing to hand back the realm. Upon his father’s death he became King of Wessex and one of his first acts was to marry Judith – his stepmother, a marriage condemned as incestuous by the church. Asser describes his reign as lawless and licentious. Sounds like a time when Judith’s strong-willed Carolingian spirit could indeed flourish!
If her early teenage years were spent with a man who insisted on her being honoured, her mid-teenage years were with a rebellious man who seems to have had a complicated relationship with his father. Judith would have seen how Athelbald benefitted from his rebellion, gaining at least part of his inheritance early. She would also have seen how little he cared for the opinion of the church as they married in spite of its condemnation. Did these experiences stay with her, bolstering her in her own act of rebellion against her father? Did they encourage her to make her own decisions on marriage, regardless of what her father and the church had to say?
Athelbald’s death as a young man must have been a shock for Judith and although we cannot know how she felt about her husbands, there must have been some grief as she returned to West Francia and a dull life in the monastery at Senlis.
[image error]Castle & cathedral at Senlis
But if Charles thought he was getting his dutiful, obedient daughter back, he was in for a shock! That meek Frankish princess did not return. In her place was a confident queen, with a will as strong as her father’s…
Discover the story of Judith’s Wessex marriages as well as how she fared upon her return to West Francia in Three Times the Lady – the story of Judith of Flanders
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