MaryAnn Bernal's Blog, page 13

The 11th annual Smashwords Read an Ebook Week Sale - Sunday, March 1 through Saturday, March 7, 2020

Author Mary Ann Bernal is participating in the 11th Annual Smashwords Read an Ebook Week Sale (March 1 - March 7, 2020). All her novels and short story collections are available at either a reduced price or are free. Why not stop by her profile page and have a look? Click here to find all of Mary Ann Bernal's works.

The Alpha Council Chronicles by Brenda Sparks - four amazing stories at a reduced price February 21 - March 27, 2020

In the shadows of the night, there exists a band of warriors--a group of vampires, known as the Alpha Council. Their vow, to protect not only their kind but the humans existing alongside them.Together they will confront an extraordinary destiny of peril, passion, and dark pleasures in the riveting paranormal romance series, The Alpha Council Chronicles.


For a limited time, The Alpha Council Chronicles series is on sale. Each story is $0.99, and the entire series can be purchased for only $3.96.
Available at:
AmazonApple BooksBook BubGoodreadsBarnes and NobleKobo

About the Author

Born in Virginia, Brenda Sparks now resides in the Sunshine State.  Balancing her professional commitment to the local school district with her writing is challenging at times, but writing suspenseful paranormal romance is a passion that won’t be denied. Her idea of a perfect day is one spent in front of a computer with a hot cup of coffee, her fingers flying over the keys to send her characters off on their latest adventure. Brenda loves to connect with readers.  Please visit her online or stop by her website to say hi.

The Briton and the Dane: Legacy by Mary Ann Bernal

Whispered by the wise and the learned. Talked of in hushed tones round luminous firesides. Engraved by awestruck scribes in the scriptoria of the Chronicles.  Against all the odds, great King Alfred defeated a vastly superior Danish army outside Chippenham.
This victory, the sages prophesied, would guarantee peace throughout the land. Or so they thought.
Two years later, Rigr the Bastard, vengeful and seeking to claim his birthright, was defeated in the wilds of East Anglia. His blood smeared berserker warriors vanquished; no quarter asked for - no quarter given.
Now, a further two years later, the Vikings return. Noble Prince Sven instigates a seaborne invasion, fuelled partly by blind rage when he discovers that his brother, Prince Erik, has sworn fealty to the Anglo-Saxon king.  
His own brother: A traitor and a fool.
Erik’s love, Lady Gwyneth, attempts to stop the invasion before it starts by uniting the two estranged brothers, but her scheming only succeeds in making matters worse. Indeed, her interference guarantees the death of thousands of warriors in the freezing, tumultuous North Sea.
So, when the horns of Sven’s monumental fleet of warships are heard off the fogbound coast of Britannia, King Alfred – outnumbered, outshipped and weary of the fray - must rouse his jaded Saxon warriors and lead them to sea, to repel his most formidable enemy yet.
For a host motivated by the spilled blood of the fallen, the spirit of black vengeance, and the delights of a warrior’s reward in Valhalla, is the most fearsome opponent of all.  

Alfred. Sven. Erik. Gwyneth.  Amidst the ferrous reverberation of a battle royale - one or all must die, and the fate of a nation hangs in the balance, one final time.



Purchasemybook.to/TBATDLegacyAudibleBarnes and NobleiTunes/Apple Books
Smashwords

Spotlight on History Enthusiast Jon Marshall – actor, director, producer - History Roadshow

Jon Marshall has been interested in cinematography since his early years, having been a member of an 8 mm club in his home city of Sheffield, Yorkshire. His artistic expression in film and an insatiable love of history led to the creation of History Roadshow, providing video tours of English Heritage and National Trust properties showcased on YouTube.
Initially, chosen locations held personal memories of past visits, but public interest expanded his vision to include the myriad of sites throughout the United Kingdom. His membership with English Heritage and the National Trust gave him access to every location in the country, comprising a large catalog of famous and not so famous places of interest.
Recently, Jon decided to leave directing, embarking on an actor’s career to narrate the series personally. His work includes Conquest, Crown, and Charter. A trilogy of videos starting with the reign of William the Conqueror through that of King John and Magna Carta.
Jon’s latest endeavor includes another trilogy of videos, The Six Mothers in Law of Henry VIII.

Social Media
History Roadshow YouTube Link
History Roadshow Twitter Link

Jon Marshall Pinterest Link

The Briton and the Dane: Birthright by Mary Ann Bernal

Two years have passed since Alfred the Great successfully defeated Guthrum, King of the Vikings.

The fair land of England is at peace. That is, until the harmony is threatened by Guthrum’s angry, vengeful, illegitimate son, Rigr, who is hell-bent on usurping his father’s throne.
Rigr demands his Birthright – an acknowledgement that he is the sole heir to the Danelaw, but his father refuses his claim. Rigr assembles his army; a motley, but formidable, cohort of disenchanted warriors.
Fearsome Guthrum, ruler of everything from Kent to Northumbria, is made aware of the threat and conjures his forces, meeting the rebellious host on the field at Thetford. 

Thousands upon thousands of bloodthirsty warriors confront each other on the sunlit, windless plains of East Anglia. The victors will rewrite the course of history, and the fate of England is in the hands of the gods of war.
PurchaseAmazon Global LinkAudibleBarnes and NobleiTunes/Apple Books
Smashwords

Spotlight on actor, director, and author John Reign

John Reign began his career in the music industry, branching out into all venues of the entertainment business after touring the country for MCA Records. His experience with TV and film production led to the founding of Polestar Studios, where he currently serves as CEO.
Originally hailing from Oswego, New York, John and his wife, Rowena, currently reside in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania.

Some fun factsYou may or may not know
John was an Elvis impersonator for MCA Records.

A successful professional magician, John almost died doing Houdini's Water Cell Torture stunt. 
John owned a string of nightclubs in New York.
Grimmets Magic Forest was originally written over thirty years ago to help his son fall asleep.
 John and his wife have raised thirteen children. 

Coming Soon
Polestar Studios award-winning film, Finding Purpose: The Road to Redemption is scheduled for release later this year.


Finding Purpose: The Road to Redemption trailer

Purchase Links

Amazon Video



Amazon Books

Social Media
Facebook
Polestar Productions

The Briton and the Dane by Mary Ann Bernal

King Alfred the Great has thwarted the Viking threat against his kingdom of Wessex. Signing a treaty with the formidable Danish King Guthrum, he succeeds in pushing the heathen army back to the rolling fens of East Anglia.
An uneasy peace holds sway: The King establishes a standing army under Lord Richard, who takes command of the citadel at Wareham.
Richard and his army are accompanied by his daughter, Gwyneth, an impetuous and reckless young woman – at once striking, intellectually gifted, but dangerously vain and imprudent.
While Richard broods on the Viking threat, Gwyneth falls in love with an enemy prince - only to discover that she has been betrothed to a Saxon warrior twice her age.  
Refusing to countenance her grim fate, she flees the fortress, but is soon kidnapped by a Viking warrior and taken to the camp of King Guthrum while Saxon search parties scour the land.  
In captivity, a hostage to fortune, and the focus of political intrigue, Gwyneth is submerged in a world of expediency, betrayal, and black treachery. Slowly, she realizes the truth is suspect, nothing is what it appears and her reality cannot be trusted. 
And all the time, against this background, she desires nothing more than to be reunited with her dashing Danish prince.
PurchaseAmazon Global LinkAudibleBarnes and NobleiTunes/Apple BooksSmashwords

Scribbler Tales Presents: Escape from Berlin - a multi-genre selection of short stories by Mary Ann Bernal

Scribbler Tales Presents
Escape from BerlinMark Dresdner’s cover is blown, forcing him to flee East Germany, yet he refuses to leave the woman he loves.  Finding the border crossing blocked, and the enemy closing in, will he evade capture or be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice?

Featuring
BetrayalAelia gives herself completely to the man she loves, revealing a life-threatening secret, trusting her husband unconditionally, but is he deserving of her trust?
Deadly SecretsLysandra seeks a new life in America, hoping to forget her past, but an accidental meeting with a man who knows her true identity endangers her happiness.
Murder in the FirstAs judge, jury, and executioner, Bethel decides the fate of the man responsible for her plight, but things go terribly wrong and the predator becomes the prey.
The RitualDevona’s initiation into a modern-day pagan sect on All Hallows’ Eve sends the terrified young woman fleeing for her life amidst a raging storm. Escaping the sacrificial altar, will she survive the tempest?




Amazon Global Link
Audible
Barnes and NobleiTunes/Apple BooksSmashwords

Crusader's Path by Mary Ann Bernal available for pre-order

Amazon Pre-order Link





From the sweeping hills of Argences to the port city of Cologne overlooking the River Rhine, Etienne and Avielle find themselves drawn by the need for redemption amid the backdrop of the First Crusade.
Heeding the call of His Holiness, Urban II, to free the Holy Land from the infidel, Etienne follows Duke Robert of Normandy across the treacherous miles, braving sweltering heat and snow-covered mountain passes while en route to the Byzantine Empire.
Moved by Peter of Amiens’ charismatic rhetoric in the streets of the Holy Roman Empire, Avielle joins the humble army of pilgrims. Upon arrival in Mentz, the peasant Crusaders do the unthinkable, destroying the Jewish Community. Consumed with guilt, Avielle is determined to die fighting for Christ, assuring her place in Heaven.
Etienne and Avielle cross paths in Constantinople, where they commiserate over past misdeeds. A spark becomes a flame, but when Avielle contracts leprosy, Etienne makes a promise to God, offering to take the priest cowl in exchange for ridding Avielle of her affliction.

Will Etienne be true to his word if Avielle is cleansed of the contagion, or will he risk eternal damnation to be with the woman he loves?


Click here to pre-order

Book Launch - The Heretic Wind by Judith Arnopp

Judith Arnopp
Judith’s novels concentrate on strong female characters from English history. Her trilogy of Margaret Beaufort, The Beaufort Chronicle, provided Margaret with a credible voice. She does much the same in this novel of Mary Tudor, Queen of England. Mary, due to the violent punishment she inflicted on heretics has come to be viewed as little short of a monster. In this novel, Mary isn’t white-washed; she is simply allowed to tell her own story. Judith says:
 ‘I always think it would be awful if, after my death, I was only remembered for the very worst thing I’ve ever done. Everyone is guilty of something, and people like Mary, and her father Henry VIII carried out horrible deeds. Unfortunately, those actions have come to define them. Burning anyone to death seems terrible to us but it was the standard punishment for heresy in the 16th century. It would be wrong to look upon Mary as some half-mad monster, glibly sending Protestants to their death. There was much more to her than cruelty. She was kind, generous and terribly well-meaning. She adored her people but her reign wasn’t as benign as she intended. My study of Mary Tudor revealed a sad, isolated and desperate woman whose intention was to be a good and loving Queen. The fact things turned out rather differently were mostly due to exterior forces. In The Heretic Wind, the mortally sick and embittered Mary looks back on her life and explains to some extent, the reasons why things happened as they did.


The Heretic Wind
Adored by her parents and pampered by the court, the infant Princess Mary’s life changes suddenly and drastically when her father’s eye is taken by the enigmatic Anne Boleyn.
Mary stands firm against her father’s determination to destroy both her mother’s reputation, and the Catholic church. It is a battle that will last throughout both her father’s and her brother’s reign, until, she is almost broken by persecution. When King Edward falls ill and dies Mary expects to be crowned queen.
But she has reckoned without John Dudley, the Duke of Northumberland, who before Mary can act, usurps her crown and places it on the head of her Protestant cousin, Lady Jane Grey.
Furious and determined not to be beaten, Mary musters a vast army at Framlingham Castle; a force so strong that support for Jane Grey crumbles in the face of it, and Mary is at last crowned Queen of England.
But her troubles are only just beginning. Rebellion and heresy take their toll both on Mary’s health, and on the English people. Suspecting she is fatally ill, and desperate to save her people from heresy, Mary steps up her campaign to compel her subjects to turn back to the Catholic faith.
All who resist will face punishment for heresy in the flames of the Smithfield fires.


Judith Arnopp is the author of twelve Historical Fiction novels:
The Heretic Wind; the life of Mary Tudor, Queen of EnglandSisters of Arden The Beaufort Chronicles: the life of Lady Margaret Beaufort (three-book series)A Song of Sixpence: the story of Elizabeth of YorkIntractable Heart: the story of Katheryn ParrThe Kiss of the Concubine: a story of Anne BoleynThe Winchester Goose: at the court of Henry VIIIThe Song of HeleddThe Forest DwellersPeaceweaver


To discover more kindly visit:  Judith's WebsiteJudith's Author Page