Tracey Warr's Blog, page 9
February 28, 2023
Happy Saint David’s Day
Happy Saint David’s Day and happy publication day to me for the launch of the first book in the new edition of my Conquest trilogy set in 12th century Wales!
Saint David was a renowned teacher and an eloquent preacher. He practised asceticism, encouraging the avoidance of meat and beer. He founded monasteries across southwest Wales, including the spot where Saint David’s Cathedral stands. His symbol is the white dove on his shoulder, which appeared during one of his miracles. The image shown is from a stained glass window at Our Lady and Saint Non’s Chapel on a spectacular headland a few miles from Saint David’s. The chapel was built near an ancient ruin. Saint Non may have been David’s mother and it may have been his birthplace.
Saint David was canonised in the 12th century, during the period of Welsh resistance to Norman rule. He probably died on 1 March 589. His shrine is in Saint David’s Cathedral but the site was regularly raided and the shrine stripped by Vikings throughout the Middle Ages. The Welsh poet Rhygyfarch wrote a life of Saint David. One of his poems lamenting the Norman conquest of Wales features in my novel: ‘The people and the priest are despised by the word, heart, and work of the Normans. Families do not now take delight in offspring; the heir does not hope for paternal estates’.
Saint David’s Day is celebrated by wearing daffodils and leeks, the symbols of Wales, and by eating traditional Welsh food, such as cawl or Welsh rarebit. Saint David’s Day parades are held today in cities in Wales, such as Cardiff and Swansea.
My novel, Conquest I: Daughter of the Last King, is published today (in hardback, paperback and ebook) by Meanda Books, with a new cover designed by Jessica Bell.
Conquest II: The Drowned Court is published in April and Conquest III: The Anarchy follows on 1 May. The trilogy centres on the turbulent life of the Welsh noblewoman, Nest ferch Rhys, who was one of the (many) mistresses of the Norman king, Henry I, and whose brother, Gruffudd ap Rhys, rebelled against Norman rule.
The image of Saint David is from a stained glass window at St Non’s Chapel, St David’s by Llywelyn2000. CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=106639347.
Today’s Launch of Daughter of the Last King
M.N. Stroh’s interview with me is posted today on the Historical Novel Society website to celebrate the publication of Daughter of the Last King and the launch of my imprint Meanda Books.
February 18, 2023
Winners of the Goodreads Giveaway
Congratulations to the 10 winners of the Goodreads Giveaway for first edition copies of my historical novel Daughter of the Last King. Signed copies will be on their way to you shortly.
An astonishing 3,544 people in the US and Canada entered the giveaway.
I am running a
on my website for people signing up to my quarterly newsletter, Meandering (£4 postage paid only). The offer is open to anyone, anywhere, while stocks last.
February 16, 2023
New Books
The revised editions of my Conquest trilogy, with new covers by Jessica Bell, are available on preorder now and publication starts on 1 March, Saint David’s Day. Saint David is the patron saint of Wales.
February 12, 2023
Book Giveaways Ending Soon
Here’s a sneak preview of the new cover for Book 2 in the Conquest trilogy.
An astonishing 2,175 people have so far entered their names in the hat for my Goodreads Giveaway of a signed paperback copy of the first edition of Daughter of the Last King. The Giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents and closes on 17 Feb.
Wherever you are in the world, you can get a free book on my website by paying postage only (£2-£4) and signing up to my quarterly newsletter, Meandering. That free book giveaway closes on 15 Feb.
The next issue of Meandering (coming in April 2023) includes an article on my decision to launch my own imprint – Meanda Books – and to publish 10 books this year (hard core!). I will be writing about learning to self-publish the hard way (by just doing it), my rookie mistakes, tips, and the outcomes so far. There are quite a few preorders in for the first book in the Conquest trilogy published on 1 March already. It can be preordered in hardback, paperback, or ebook now:
and other retailers.
January 28, 2023
Goodreads Giveaway and other Book Offers
For readers in the United States and Canada
A Goodreads Giveaway opens today. There are 10 paperback copies of the first edition of Daughter of the Last King, set in 12th century Wales and Normandy, up for grabs.
The Giveaway closes on 17 February.
The Giveaway has only been open for a few hours so far and 34 people have already entered. Get your skates on!
For readers everywhere
Meanda Books is offering a free paperback book to anyone who is already on my newsletter list and any new sign ups. There is a choice of books on offer.
Offer ends 15 February.
For reviewers
Sample chapter and free ebook available for a limited number of reviewers, for a limited time, on Book Sirens.
January 25, 2023
Happy Welsh Lover’s Day
January 25th is Welsh Lover’s Day, celebrating Saint Dwynwen, a 5th century princess who was thwarted in love. Dwynwen had 23 sisters. She fell in love with Maelon Dafodrill but her father, King Brychan, would not allow her to marry him. Dwynwen fled to the woods, and Maelon was turned into a block of ice.
After her fervent prayers, God granted Dwynwen three wishes: Maelon would be thawed, God would help all true lovers, and she would never marry. She became a nun and set up a convent in a remote corner of Ynys Môn (Anglesey). Close to the convent was a sacred well. Lovers could ask questions about their future and wives could test the faithfulness of their husbands with the aid of a magical eel that lived in the well.
One of the things I like about Saint Dwynwen’s Day is that it is a day to celebrate all kinds of love – not only romantic love. So I’d like to celebrate my long, close friendship with Bob, a Welshman who I refer to as my muse. We have been friends for over 45 years, since I met him at a party and made him breakdance with me. We have phoned each other every day since we met and have become like each other’s diaries. Here’s to you, good friend!
Lovers abound in my Conquest trilogy about the 12th century Welsh noblewoman Nest ferch Rhys who has been called the Helen of Wales. She was the mistress of King Henry I, then married to the Norman steward of Pembroke Castle, then kidnapped by a Welsh prince, widowed, married to the Norman constable of Cardigan Castle, widowed, and, finally, the wife of the Flemish sheriff of Pembroke. In the novels, I aimed to imagine Nest’s resilience living through such a turbulent life. New editions of the novels are published over the next few months, starting with Daughter of the Last King, coming out in hardback, paperback and ebook on 1 March and available to preorder now.
To celebrate my publishing imprint, Meanda Books, I am currently running a free book offer (while stocks last). Grab a book and snuggle up in the warm with someone you love.
Saint Dwynwen’s Church, Llanddwyn
Saint Dwynwen’s Church by Noel.morgan2000, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2173136
Large Image: Welsh Love Spoon
January 22, 2023
Free Books
I’m currently running a free paperback book offer. Have a look at the choice and grab one!
Book Sirens are also inviting reviewers for the new ebook edition of my book, Conquest I: Daughter of the Last King, which is published on 1 March 2023.
January 17, 2023
Danae Penn: Author Talk in France This Weekend
In case you happen to be in the south of France this weekend, Danae Penn is giving a talk at Parisot Library on her medieval mystery novels. False Rumours and A Mystery of Blood and Dust are set in the Gers in the 15th century and feature a female sleuth, Belina Lansac. The novels are available in both English and French.
Danae Penn: Were Medieval Women Independent?
Saturday 21 January, 10.30am
Parisot Library, 82160 (don’t go to the wrong Parisot!)
Highly recommended.
The following LibraryLit talk on 4 March by Martyn Cox on a film archive of interviews with WWII SOE agents also looks fascinating.
December 31, 2022
Helen of Wales
Shortly after Christmas, 1106,* the Norman steward of Pembroke Castle in Wales, Gerald FitzWalter, and his wife, the Welsh noblewoman Nest ferch Rhys, were invited to feast with Gerald’s bitter enemies King Cadwagn and his son Prince Owain. Cadwagn gave lip service to the Norman king but Owain was one of the lead rebels harrassing the Norman occupiers.
Gerald FitzWalter was a Norman warrior holding the kingdom of Deheubarth in south west Wales for the Norman king, Henry I. The kingdom was previously ruled by Nest’s father, King Rhys ap Tewdwr who was killed in battle by the Normans. Nest had been betrothed to marry Prince Owain, but King Henry made her his mistress and then gave her in marriage to Gerald.
That Christmas, Gerald had just completed work on a new castle at Cilgerran, close to the border of Cadwagn and Owain’s kingdom of Ceredigion. Given the geopolitics of the time and the history of Nest’s previous betrothal to Owain, the feast must have been a tense occasion but it passed off without incident. Several nights later, however, Owain made a surprise attack on the castle where Gerald and Nest were staying with their young children (Henry – the son of the king, William, Maurice, David and Angharad). It is likely that the family were celebrating Christmas at the new castle of Cilgerran.** Owain’s Welsh troops slaughtered the small Norman garrison and the household servants and kidnapped Nest and her children. Gerald escaped the carnage by slipping down the toilet chute to the moat.
Owain soon returned the children to their father. Since Nest’s eldest son was a royal bastard (one of very many), it would not have been wise for Owain to harm or keep the boys and their sister. However, he kept Nest hostage for a couple of years and only released her back to her husband through the intervention of King Henry. Some sources claim that Owain abducted and raped Nest against her will (which seems likely given that she had been married to Gerald for several years and had a family of five young children). Others claim that she supported the Welsh resistance against the Normans and colluded in the kidnap.
The story of Nest’s kidnap is told in the Brut y Twysogion (The Chronicle of the Princes), and also by Nest’s grandson, the writer, Gerald of Wales. She was likened to Helen of Troy since she was supposedly kidnapped because of her great beauty.
My Conquest trilogy based on the turbulent life of Nest ferch Rhys is published in a new edition this year with the first book, Daughter of the Last King, out on Saint David’s Day, 1 March 2023. You can preorder the ebook now and will be able to preorder the print books (hardback and paperback) very soon.
To celebrate the launch of my new publishing imprint, Meanda Books, I am running a free book promotion with the first editions of some of my books.
*Some sources say 1109.
** Some sources argue that this event took place at Carew Castle.
The title image shows Cilgerran Castle in Wales.
