MaryAnn Bernal's Blog, page 327
January 22, 2014
The Phil Naessens Show: Our 2014 NBA All-Star Teams Revealed!
http://phillipnaessens.wordpress.com/2014/01/21/the-phil-naessens-show-our-2014-nba-all-star-teams-revealed/
Zeb Benbrook, Aaron Stampler and Phil choose their NBA Eastern and Western Conference All-Star Team and Reserves plus much more on today's Phil Naessens Show!
Zeb Benbrook, Aaron Stampler and Phil choose their NBA Eastern and Western Conference All-Star Team and Reserves plus much more on today's Phil Naessens Show!
January 21, 2014
Discover Mr. Chuckles fascination with time travel as he stirs the Wizard's Cauldron
MeetMary Ann Bernalauthor ofThe Briton and the Dane: TimelineThrow around the concept of a consummate professional too often and everything about the phrase begins to lose its lustre, but in this case, I offer no apologies: believe me, Mary Ann Bernal IS the consummate professional.
As my editor at Green Wizard, I have watched her work for the past year and a half and she is relentless. Any author, Indie or Trad, who wishes to make it pay in this most frenetic of capers, would do well to follow Mary Ann's lead.
For five years, she has slugged it out working seven days a week, twelve hours at a stretch. Even illness fails to stop her - as they said about Keith Richards, people like Mary Ann cannot be killed by conventional weapons.
Author, marketeer, editor, pimp, tweeter, all-round advisor, font-of-indie knowledge and now would-be player in the Hollywood Indie leagues, Mary Ann is a role model for us all.
I caught up with her on the Wizphone, as she hunkered down to avoid the shock and awe of the Polar Vortex currently afflicting America, to talk about the latest instalment in her acclaimed The Briton and The Dane franchise, Timeline.
A regular guest and commentator on The Wizard's Cauldron, you can find her previous interview here.
http://greenwizard62.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/an-interview-with-mary-ann-bernal.html
READ MORE - CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
http://greenwizard62.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-trip-down-timeline-mary-ann.html?showComment=1390355495862#c2853149356443970112
The Wizard's Cauldron: A Trip Down The Timeline - Mary Ann Bernal...aroun...
The Wizard's Cauldron: A Trip Down The Timeline - Mary Ann Bernal...aroun...: Throw around the concept of a consummate professional too often and everything about the phrase begins to lose its lustre, but in this case,...
The Wizard's Cauldron Fancy an interview around the Cauldron? We interview anyone connected to Independent Literature.Green Wizard: Relaunch April 22nd
Green Wizard returns with "The Night Porter" - April 22nd
Tuesday, 21 January 2014 Throw around the concept of a consummate professional too often and everything about the phrase begins to lose its lustre, but in this case, I offer no apologies: believe me, Mary Ann Bernal IS the consummate professional.
As my editor at Green Wizard, I have watched her work for the past year and a half and she is relentless. Any author, Indie or Trad, who wishes to make it pay in this most frenetic of capers, would do well to follow Mary Ann's lead.
For five years, she has slugged it out working seven days a week, twelve hours at a stretch. Even illness fails to stop her - as they said about Keith Richards, people like Mary Ann cannot be killed by conventional weapons.
Author, marketeer, editor, pimp, tweeter, all-round advisor, font-of-indie knowledge and now would-be player in the Hollywood Indie leagues, Mary Ann is a role model for us all.
I caught up with her on the Wizphone, as she hunkered down to avoid the shock and awe of the Polar Vortex currently afflicting America, to talk about the latest instalment in her acclaimed The Briton and The Dane franchise, Timeline.
A regular guest and commentator on The Wizard's Cauldron, you can find her previous interview here.
http://greenwizard62.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/an-interview-with-mary-ann-bernal.html
Remind the Wizardwatchers who you are, Mary Ann, and what you do.
Hi Wizzy, as regular readers of the Cauldron will know, I am a historical fiction author, and writer of The Briton and The Dane series of historical novels. I specialise in Anglo-Saxon history, particularly the time of Alfred The Great. I m from New York and am currently living in the wilds of Omaha, Nebraska.
How have Nebraskans coped with the crazy weather this year?
Omaha has been pretty lucky this winter with snow fall totals, or lack thereof. However, we’ve had a brutal spell with the Polar Vortex earlier this month, and as we speak on the Wizphone, Omaha is having a heat wave, 55 degrees and climbing. As most people, we take these things in stride, not allowing the weather to interfere with getting to work and social activities. Thankfully, the sporting events through February are all inside - just have to love basketball for that very reason.
Tell us about your latest work.
My latest book is The Briton and the Dane: Timeline. While it continues the franchise, it is a definite diversion and adds something new to the piece. There is much more of a focus on romance here and I've added an element of time travel too, which is something new. Here's what it says on the back cover!
Dr. Gwyneth Franger is a renowned expert in early medieval England who is set upon learning the truth about the death of Lord Erik, the last descendant of the powerful House of Wareham. Her quest becomes an obsession, a condition that began with the discovery of a portrait of the tall and valiant warrior with which she forms an extraordinary and inexplicable bond.
Digesting troves of mildewed scrolls and source documentation only enhances her belief that Lord Erik was brutally assassinated by a cabal of traitors in the pay of William the Bastard, shortly before the onslaught of the Norman Invasion.
On an archeological dig in Southern England, her team unearths an Anglo-Saxon fortress, a vast citadel built during the reign of Alfred the Great, which she believes was Lord Erik’s stronghold. In the midst of her excitement, she is awakened one night from her slumbers by a disconcerting anomaly emerging from the site.
Dr. Franger finds herself transported back to the Dark Ages and at the side of the noble Lord Erik who commands an army of elite Saxon warriors, a swift and mobile force able to deploy quickly throughout the kingdom to ward off invaders.
Witnessing the unrest firsthand, Gwyneth senses that her instincts had been right all along, and she is determined to learn the identities of the treacherous blackguards hiding in the shadows, villains who may well be posing as Lord Erik’s friends and counselors.
Will Gwyneth stop the assassins? Is she strong enough to walk away and watch her beloved Erik die? Or will she intervene, change the course of history and wipe out an entire timeline to save the man she loves with all her heart?
How is it related to your long running The Briton and The Dane series?
While Gwyneth and Erik are the main characters in this novel, they are not the same Gwyneth and Erik referenced in the trilogy. This novel begins in 2066, but most of the story takes place in 1062-1066, prior to the Norman invasion. The other novels take place during the reign of Alfred the Great in the ninth century.
Why did you decide on Timeline?
When I first started writing The Briton and the Dane, the storyline was about Gwyneth and Erik’s relationship, and the problems they faced in a land ravaged by war and conquest. However, as the story evolved, the ancillary characters started demanding more representation, wishing to have to have additional “screen time.”
To me, Gwyneth and Erik shared the stage with too many players, and I do believe they felt cheated. I was toying with the idea of a standalone novel dedicated to Gwyneth and Erik, but what if fate had kept them apart, centuries apart?
How would a 21st century Gwyneth fare in 11th century England?
Science Fiction and Anglo-Saxon England, two of my favorite topics in one novel. It doesn't get better than this
Classic sci-fi meets medieval comic, The Mighty Thor
When is it released?
Am awaiting the proof copy as we speak. If everything goes according to plan, the book launch will be within a fortnight - just love that word.
You are known as extremely professional. Phil Naessens, on a recent radio interview with you, said: “Mary Ann Bernal is one of the few authors that I would bring on my daily show no matter what the subject”. Have you had training?
Click Here For Mary Ann's Excellent Radio Interview with Phil Naessens
Phil Naessens is an excellent host, and his questions are interesting and different. My latest interview on The Writers Showcase is my third appearance, and I do look forward to speaking again with Phil later this year.
The only training I had was a public speaking course in college, too many years ago to count. However, I have over twenty years experience as a Lector (Roman Catholic ministry for lay people). Additionally, I have given presentations to various groups on the publishing business, especially in the digital age, which has added to my skill set.
Do you think authors should spend less time writing and spend more time doing marketing training?
Writers need to research every aspect of their craft. Once a book is published, an author cannot sit back on his laurels and expect the reading public to know of his/her work without name awareness. And how is that done, you ask?
In my opinion, the most important site for an inspiring author is his/her webpage. If you type my name on Bing - yes, Bing - ok, for the rest of you, Google - my official website if the first item that appears in the search results. My page has links to the various social media sites such as facebook, twitter, Google plus, pinterest, etc. However, it is difficult to interact proficiently with the overabundance of available sites, so I would recommend selecting the sites that work best for you. Another thing to remember is that what works this year may not work next year, and there’s always a new kid on the block, which means, be selective.
Once you’ve created your profiles, which is quite time consuming, you can maintain the sites on a schedule. You should be able to split you time between marketing and writing. Remember, even if your manuscript has been picked up by an established publishing house, the author is still expected to do a hefty chunk of marketing. These houses expect to see your followers purchasing your novels - and yes, they do want to see numbers, even though it has yet to be proven that 10K twitter followers will buy your books.
Now that you’ve set up your system, you can get back to what you love doing - writing. Of course, you could always hire someone to do the marketing aspect of the business while you are locked away in your office, or wherever you write, away from the distractions.
Unfortunately, writing time needs to be shared with marketing efforts, until you make it in the business. Then, you’ll have people!
Crazed fan - at least she buys books!!
If a crazed Indie author forced you at gunpoint (or hammerpoint!) to offer ONE proven strategy to get her novel out there, what would you say?
Consider the Amazon Kindle Select Program. I have had excellent results with the exclusive listing for ebooks. Print editions are available at all line book sellers.
You also write short stories. Where can readers find some of your other work?
There is a tab on my webpage entitled short stories, which lists the title of the work and where you can purchase the anthology where the story is included.
www.maryannbernal.com
In addition to the titles listed, seven more stories have been accepted for publication and should be available later this year.
Available on Amazon:
Deadly Secrets featured in the Independent Author Index Short Story Compilation, volume 3
Out of the Depths featured in Green Wizard Publishing’s Reality Bites
The Ritual featured in the Independent Author Index Short Story Compilation, volume 2
Murder in the First featured in the Independent Author Index Short Story Compilation, volume 1
The Hourglass featured in Time, a Literary Underground Anthology
Forever Lost featured in Unearthed, a Literary Underground Anthology
I’m a big fan of the book Concordia. Are there any plans for a sequel?
Unfortunately, I haven’t any plans for a sequel in the foreseeable future.
Boo...that is a GREAT book...
Sorry, Wiz.
Nice review of the underrrated Concordia - an excellent read
Never mind. What films, TV, books and CDs have you enjoyed since the last time you were around the Cauldron
Star Trek Into Darkness
Vikings (on the History Channel)
Alba: The Gaelic Kingdom of Scotland AD 800-1124” by Stephen Driscoll
Verdi - Requiem Dies Irae
And finally, what do fans of Mary Ann Bernal have to look forward to in 2014?
My next project is very exciting. I have been working with Colin K. Stewart, who is an award winning film and theater director, award winning film producer and screenwriter. He has recently completed the screenplay for The Briton and the Dane, keeping the novel storyline intact during the process. The screenplay has also been accepted for consideration in the screenplay competition category at the upcoming Beverly Hills Film Festival (April), the Las Vegas Film Festival (July), and the Hollywood Film Festival (October).
Mary Ann, once again, it's been a great pleasure to have you on the show and I wish you the best of luck with Timeline and your march on Hollywood
Thanks for having me, great Wizard. Look for me on the red carpet - will be waving!
Film links:
http://maryannbernal18.wix.com/britonanddanefilm
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5991790/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
Webpage and purchase info:
www.maryannbernal.com
________________________________________________________________________________
Stop Press:
Mary Ann entered the Author Database Cover Competition recently and while she struggled against the might of young people's colossal and widespread social networks in the voting stages, when it reached the judges, the cover of The Complete Trilogy, designed by Steven Novak, won a Bronze Medal.
Well done, MAB
The Wizard's Cauldron Fancy an interview around the Cauldron? We interview anyone connected to Independent Literature.Green Wizard: Relaunch April 22nd
Green Wizard returns with "The Night Porter" - April 22nd
Tuesday, 21 January 2014 Throw around the concept of a consummate professional too often and everything about the phrase begins to lose its lustre, but in this case, I offer no apologies: believe me, Mary Ann Bernal IS the consummate professional. As my editor at Green Wizard, I have watched her work for the past year and a half and she is relentless. Any author, Indie or Trad, who wishes to make it pay in this most frenetic of capers, would do well to follow Mary Ann's lead.
For five years, she has slugged it out working seven days a week, twelve hours at a stretch. Even illness fails to stop her - as they said about Keith Richards, people like Mary Ann cannot be killed by conventional weapons.
Author, marketeer, editor, pimp, tweeter, all-round advisor, font-of-indie knowledge and now would-be player in the Hollywood Indie leagues, Mary Ann is a role model for us all.
I caught up with her on the Wizphone, as she hunkered down to avoid the shock and awe of the Polar Vortex currently afflicting America, to talk about the latest instalment in her acclaimed The Briton and The Dane franchise, Timeline.
A regular guest and commentator on The Wizard's Cauldron, you can find her previous interview here.
http://greenwizard62.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/an-interview-with-mary-ann-bernal.html
Remind the Wizardwatchers who you are, Mary Ann, and what you do.
Hi Wizzy, as regular readers of the Cauldron will know, I am a historical fiction author, and writer of The Briton and The Dane series of historical novels. I specialise in Anglo-Saxon history, particularly the time of Alfred The Great. I m from New York and am currently living in the wilds of Omaha, Nebraska.
How have Nebraskans coped with the crazy weather this year?
Omaha has been pretty lucky this winter with snow fall totals, or lack thereof. However, we’ve had a brutal spell with the Polar Vortex earlier this month, and as we speak on the Wizphone, Omaha is having a heat wave, 55 degrees and climbing. As most people, we take these things in stride, not allowing the weather to interfere with getting to work and social activities. Thankfully, the sporting events through February are all inside - just have to love basketball for that very reason.
Tell us about your latest work.
My latest book is The Briton and the Dane: Timeline. While it continues the franchise, it is a definite diversion and adds something new to the piece. There is much more of a focus on romance here and I've added an element of time travel too, which is something new. Here's what it says on the back cover!
Dr. Gwyneth Franger is a renowned expert in early medieval England who is set upon learning the truth about the death of Lord Erik, the last descendant of the powerful House of Wareham. Her quest becomes an obsession, a condition that began with the discovery of a portrait of the tall and valiant warrior with which she forms an extraordinary and inexplicable bond.
Digesting troves of mildewed scrolls and source documentation only enhances her belief that Lord Erik was brutally assassinated by a cabal of traitors in the pay of William the Bastard, shortly before the onslaught of the Norman Invasion.
On an archeological dig in Southern England, her team unearths an Anglo-Saxon fortress, a vast citadel built during the reign of Alfred the Great, which she believes was Lord Erik’s stronghold. In the midst of her excitement, she is awakened one night from her slumbers by a disconcerting anomaly emerging from the site.
Dr. Franger finds herself transported back to the Dark Ages and at the side of the noble Lord Erik who commands an army of elite Saxon warriors, a swift and mobile force able to deploy quickly throughout the kingdom to ward off invaders.
Witnessing the unrest firsthand, Gwyneth senses that her instincts had been right all along, and she is determined to learn the identities of the treacherous blackguards hiding in the shadows, villains who may well be posing as Lord Erik’s friends and counselors.
Will Gwyneth stop the assassins? Is she strong enough to walk away and watch her beloved Erik die? Or will she intervene, change the course of history and wipe out an entire timeline to save the man she loves with all her heart?
How is it related to your long running The Briton and The Dane series?
While Gwyneth and Erik are the main characters in this novel, they are not the same Gwyneth and Erik referenced in the trilogy. This novel begins in 2066, but most of the story takes place in 1062-1066, prior to the Norman invasion. The other novels take place during the reign of Alfred the Great in the ninth century.
Why did you decide on Timeline?
When I first started writing The Briton and the Dane, the storyline was about Gwyneth and Erik’s relationship, and the problems they faced in a land ravaged by war and conquest. However, as the story evolved, the ancillary characters started demanding more representation, wishing to have to have additional “screen time.”
To me, Gwyneth and Erik shared the stage with too many players, and I do believe they felt cheated. I was toying with the idea of a standalone novel dedicated to Gwyneth and Erik, but what if fate had kept them apart, centuries apart?
How would a 21st century Gwyneth fare in 11th century England?
Science Fiction and Anglo-Saxon England, two of my favorite topics in one novel. It doesn't get better than this
Classic sci-fi meets medieval comic, The Mighty ThorWhen is it released?
Am awaiting the proof copy as we speak. If everything goes according to plan, the book launch will be within a fortnight - just love that word.
You are known as extremely professional. Phil Naessens, on a recent radio interview with you, said: “Mary Ann Bernal is one of the few authors that I would bring on my daily show no matter what the subject”. Have you had training?
Click Here For Mary Ann's Excellent Radio Interview with Phil Naessens
Phil Naessens is an excellent host, and his questions are interesting and different. My latest interview on The Writers Showcase is my third appearance, and I do look forward to speaking again with Phil later this year.
The only training I had was a public speaking course in college, too many years ago to count. However, I have over twenty years experience as a Lector (Roman Catholic ministry for lay people). Additionally, I have given presentations to various groups on the publishing business, especially in the digital age, which has added to my skill set.
Do you think authors should spend less time writing and spend more time doing marketing training?
Writers need to research every aspect of their craft. Once a book is published, an author cannot sit back on his laurels and expect the reading public to know of his/her work without name awareness. And how is that done, you ask?
In my opinion, the most important site for an inspiring author is his/her webpage. If you type my name on Bing - yes, Bing - ok, for the rest of you, Google - my official website if the first item that appears in the search results. My page has links to the various social media sites such as facebook, twitter, Google plus, pinterest, etc. However, it is difficult to interact proficiently with the overabundance of available sites, so I would recommend selecting the sites that work best for you. Another thing to remember is that what works this year may not work next year, and there’s always a new kid on the block, which means, be selective.
Once you’ve created your profiles, which is quite time consuming, you can maintain the sites on a schedule. You should be able to split you time between marketing and writing. Remember, even if your manuscript has been picked up by an established publishing house, the author is still expected to do a hefty chunk of marketing. These houses expect to see your followers purchasing your novels - and yes, they do want to see numbers, even though it has yet to be proven that 10K twitter followers will buy your books.
Now that you’ve set up your system, you can get back to what you love doing - writing. Of course, you could always hire someone to do the marketing aspect of the business while you are locked away in your office, or wherever you write, away from the distractions.
Unfortunately, writing time needs to be shared with marketing efforts, until you make it in the business. Then, you’ll have people!
Crazed fan - at least she buys books!!If a crazed Indie author forced you at gunpoint (or hammerpoint!) to offer ONE proven strategy to get her novel out there, what would you say?
Consider the Amazon Kindle Select Program. I have had excellent results with the exclusive listing for ebooks. Print editions are available at all line book sellers.
You also write short stories. Where can readers find some of your other work?
There is a tab on my webpage entitled short stories, which lists the title of the work and where you can purchase the anthology where the story is included.
www.maryannbernal.com
In addition to the titles listed, seven more stories have been accepted for publication and should be available later this year.
Available on Amazon:
Deadly Secrets featured in the Independent Author Index Short Story Compilation, volume 3
Out of the Depths featured in Green Wizard Publishing’s Reality Bites
The Ritual featured in the Independent Author Index Short Story Compilation, volume 2
Murder in the First featured in the Independent Author Index Short Story Compilation, volume 1
The Hourglass featured in Time, a Literary Underground Anthology
Forever Lost featured in Unearthed, a Literary Underground Anthology
I’m a big fan of the book Concordia. Are there any plans for a sequel?
Unfortunately, I haven’t any plans for a sequel in the foreseeable future.
Boo...that is a GREAT book...
Sorry, Wiz.
Nice review of the underrrated Concordia - an excellent read
Never mind. What films, TV, books and CDs have you enjoyed since the last time you were around the Cauldron
Star Trek Into Darkness
Vikings (on the History Channel)
Alba: The Gaelic Kingdom of Scotland AD 800-1124” by Stephen Driscoll
Verdi - Requiem Dies Irae
And finally, what do fans of Mary Ann Bernal have to look forward to in 2014?
My next project is very exciting. I have been working with Colin K. Stewart, who is an award winning film and theater director, award winning film producer and screenwriter. He has recently completed the screenplay for The Briton and the Dane, keeping the novel storyline intact during the process. The screenplay has also been accepted for consideration in the screenplay competition category at the upcoming Beverly Hills Film Festival (April), the Las Vegas Film Festival (July), and the Hollywood Film Festival (October).
"We are looking for producers / investors for this project. If there are interested parties in the audience, please visit my webpage - maryannbernal.com for contact information".
Mary Ann, once again, it's been a great pleasure to have you on the show and I wish you the best of luck with Timeline and your march on Hollywood
Thanks for having me, great Wizard. Look for me on the red carpet - will be waving!
Film links:
http://maryannbernal18.wix.com/britonanddanefilm
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5991790/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
Webpage and purchase info:
www.maryannbernal.com
________________________________________________________________________________
Stop Press:
Mary Ann entered the Author Database Cover Competition recently and while she struggled against the might of young people's colossal and widespread social networks in the voting stages, when it reached the judges, the cover of The Complete Trilogy, designed by Steven Novak, won a Bronze Medal.
Well done, MAB
History Trivia
January 21
1189 King Philip Augustus of France, King Henry II of England, King Richard I, and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa initiated the Third Crusade in response to the victory of Saladin in 1187.
1276 Pierre de Tarantaise, the first Dominican pope, was elected, choosing the name Pope Innocence V.
1189 King Philip Augustus of France, King Henry II of England, King Richard I, and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa initiated the Third Crusade in response to the victory of Saladin in 1187.
1276 Pierre de Tarantaise, the first Dominican pope, was elected, choosing the name Pope Innocence V.
January 20, 2014
My review of The Knight of the Dixie Wilds by Walter Taylor and K. Meador
My Review of Knight of the Dixie Wilds The Knight of the Dixie Wilds reveals the plight of the Southern gentry after the U.S. Civil War. The reader is quickly immersed into the story, following the fate of the Tyler family, wealthy plantation owners who are forced to relocate to Texas.
The human element is prevalent in the narrative; the characters are flesh and blood and not mere footnotes in a history book. As the horrors of Reconstruction of the South unfold, the lawlessness and corruption lead to the creation of the Klu Klux Klan.
Against this backdrop, Buck Tyler becomes involved with the Klan and is forced to live in the woods once a price is put on his head. Buck is betrayed and flees the state, leaving the woman he loves behind. He must surmount unbeatable odds if he is to return to Texas and to the love of his life.
The story is an excellent depiction of life in a long ago era, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Coming this January - The Adventures of Cecilia Spark: Dragon's Star written by Ngaire Elder - Read an Excerpt
An ExcerptCobwebs were everywhere; in places, they were as thick as candy floss! Orson was looking towards Cecilia when his eyes widened, and he stood as still as a statue.
“Don’t move, Cecilia!” whispered Orson.
“What are you looking at … what’s going on?” Cecilia spun round and came face-to-face with the creature Orson had seen.
The creature hung from a thick thread suspended from the ceiling. It didn’t move, just watched. It was a huge spider with massive hairy legs, two of which had pincers on them, like a crab. Its big eyes were green, and drool dripped from its large mouth, which it opened and closed noisily, salivating at the thought of devouring Cecilia.
Before Cecilia could scream, the gargantuan spider cast its silk and started to cocoon her.
“Do something, Orson!” shouted Cecilia.
Orson looked at Cecilia with worried eyes; he didn’t know what to do, and the spider had bound Cecilia up to her waist.
“The staff!” yelled Ractus.
Orson looked at the staff and pointed it at the spider shouting, “Fire!”
Nothing happened. He shook his head; it was full of thoughts, which kept him from focusing.
The spider glanced briefly at Orson; it stopped spinning, grabbed Cecilia with one of its pincers and scuttled down a tunnel, leaving a trail of echoing screams. For more information, please visit: http://www.ceciliaspark.com/
History Trivia - Edward II of England deposed
January 20
250 Fabian who was created pope in 236, was martyred under the persecution of Decius.
1265 The first English parliament was held by Simon de Montfort in the Palace of Westminister (Houses of Parliament)and was attended by elected burgesses and knights.
1327 Edward II of England was deposed by his eldest son, Edward III.
1356 Edward Balliol abdicated as King of Scotland.
1523 Christian II was forced to abdicate as King of Denmark and Norway.
1649 Charles I of England went on trial for treason and other high crimes.
250 Fabian who was created pope in 236, was martyred under the persecution of Decius.
1265 The first English parliament was held by Simon de Montfort in the Palace of Westminister (Houses of Parliament)and was attended by elected burgesses and knights.
1327 Edward II of England was deposed by his eldest son, Edward III.
1356 Edward Balliol abdicated as King of Scotland.
1523 Christian II was forced to abdicate as King of Denmark and Norway.
1649 Charles I of England went on trial for treason and other high crimes.
January 19, 2014
The Writers Showcase Podcast E18: The Briton and The Dane Franchise with Mary Ann Bernal
http://thewritersshow.wordpress.com/2014/01/19/the-writers-showcase-podcast-e18-the-briton-and-the-dane-franchise-with-mary-ann-bernal/
Author Mary Ann Bernal stops bt the showcase to discuss the five books that make up The Briton and The Dane Franchise, her movie script and much more.
Remains of Alfred the Great may have been found centuries after legendary king’s grave was lost
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/01/17/remains-of-alfred-the-great-may-have-been-found-centuries-after-legendary-kings-grave-was-lost/Remains of Alfred the Great may have been found centuries after legendary king’s grave was lost
Republish ReprintRepublish OnlineRepublish OfflineReprintThe Telegraph | January 17, 2014 | Last Updated: Jan 17 5:12 PM ET
AP Photo/ Chris Ison, PASt. Bartholomew Church in Winchester, Hampshire, Tuesday Feb. 5, 2013. Archaeologists believe the king's remains may have been moved to an unmarked grave at the Church , which was built using stones from the Hyde Abbey. As the king who saved Anglo-Saxon England from the Danes, and a military, social and educational reformer, Alfred the Great was laid to rest in the holiest church in Winchester, seat of Wessex royalty.
Matt Cardy/Getty ImagesA statue of Alfred The Great on Feb. 6, 2013 in Winchester, England. King Alfred lived from 849 AD to 899 AD and is the only English monarch to be afforded the title The Great.But over the centuries, his body was moved and the grave was lost, a victim of changing church politics and bad luck.
Now, after a false start, archeologists believe they may have found a part of his remains, languishing previously unexamined among animal bones in a dusty box in a museum basement.
Carbon dating and other analysis, coupled with the historical record and the spot where they were dug up, suggests they are from the cake burner of legend.
The academics knew that Alfred and other members of his family had been reburied at Hyde Abbey in a norther suburb of the city when it was built centuries after their deaths, but the grave was lost after the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII.
It was thought the remains may have been moved to an unmarked grave at St. Bartholomew’s Church nearby, which was built using stones from the abbey.
AP Photo/PA, Steve ParsonsThree grave stones mark the site where Hyde Abbey once stood in Winchester, England, Friday Jan. 17, 2014. Researchers said Friday they may have discovered remains of King Alfred the Great, the 9th-century royal remembered for protecting England from the Vikings and educating a largely illiterate nation.The archeologists discovered six skeletons there. But when each was found to date from the 1300s, hundreds of years after Alfred’s death in 899, they turned to remains found in the late 1990s during a previous excavation of the abbey site itself.
Alfred the Great, 849-899
Born in Wantage, Oxfordshire, in 849, Alfred became King of Wessex at the age of 21. He was crowned in 871 and reigned for 28 years
Following the wishes of his father, Aethelwulf, he succeeded to the kingship after his brothers, to avoid passing the crown to an under-age king when the country was under constant attack by Viking raiders
Alfred was battle-hardened when he came to the throne, having defeated the Danes at the Battle of Ashdown in 871. His army routed the invaders in a fierce uphill struggle but sustained heavy losses
In 878, the Danes took Chippenham, Wiltshire, in a surprise assault. Using the town as a fortified base, they struck out at Wessex and forced Alfred to retreat with the remains of his force
Copying their tactics, Alfred created a fort at Athelney, Somerset, summoned an army from Wiltshire, Somerset and Hampshire and used guerrilla tactics against the invaders
In 878 Alfred was victorious at the Battle of Edington, resulting in a treaty with the Danes. Peace was agreed on condition that the Danish King Guthrum was baptised and that his army leave Wessex
Once peace was established, Alfred reorganised southern England’s defences, creating a network of well-defended settlements and a navy of fast ships that left the kingdom less vulnerable
Alfred died in 899, aged 50, and was interred in Winchester
A popular legend, originating in the 12th century tells how when sheltering on the Somerset Levels, Alfred was taken in by a peasant woman who, unaware of his identity, left him to watch some cakes she had left cooking on the fire. Preoccupied with the problems of his kingdom, Alfred accidentally let them burn.
The Telegraph
In a storage box at Winchester’s City Museum they found a piece of human pelvic bone, including the right hip joint, which had been buried beneath the historic site of the high altar in 1999 but had never been examined.
It was found to have belonged to a young to middle-aged man who died between 895 and 1017, conceivably either Alfred or his son and successor Edward.
Although no DNA tests have been carried out, the bone is almost certainly from a member of the king’s family because it predates Hyde Abbey itself, experts said.
“The simplest explanation, given there was no Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Hyde Abbey, is that this bone comes from one of the members of the West Saxon royal family brought to the site,” said Dr. Katie Tucker, an osteoarcheologist at the University of Winchester, which carried out the excavation.
“However, historical evidence indicates that only the coffins of Alfred and Edward were buried at the site of the high altar.”
Alfred was initially interred at the city’s old minster, but was later moved with his wife and children to another church. All were reinterred at Hyde Abbey after it was consecrated in 1110.
The fact only the pelvis has been found is probably the fault of 18th-century convicts, who disturbed graves while building a prison.
“Almost certainly the royal graves were found in 1788 when they were building a prison on the site,” said Edward Fennell of Hyde900, a local historical society.
“The graves were destroyed and the bones were thrown around and buried hither and thither. That is why finding a random bone is not surprising.”
The society was behind the search for the king’s remains and is calling for further excavations of the abbey site.
Alfred the Great is remembered as the medieval king who protected southern England from the Vikings, as well as introducing a host of social and educational reforms.
Republish ReprintRepublish OnlineRepublish OfflineReprintThe Telegraph | January 17, 2014 | Last Updated: Jan 17 5:12 PM ETAP Photo/ Chris Ison, PASt. Bartholomew Church in Winchester, Hampshire, Tuesday Feb. 5, 2013. Archaeologists believe the king's remains may have been moved to an unmarked grave at the Church , which was built using stones from the Hyde Abbey. As the king who saved Anglo-Saxon England from the Danes, and a military, social and educational reformer, Alfred the Great was laid to rest in the holiest church in Winchester, seat of Wessex royalty.Matt Cardy/Getty ImagesA statue of Alfred The Great on Feb. 6, 2013 in Winchester, England. King Alfred lived from 849 AD to 899 AD and is the only English monarch to be afforded the title The Great.But over the centuries, his body was moved and the grave was lost, a victim of changing church politics and bad luck.Now, after a false start, archeologists believe they may have found a part of his remains, languishing previously unexamined among animal bones in a dusty box in a museum basement.
Carbon dating and other analysis, coupled with the historical record and the spot where they were dug up, suggests they are from the cake burner of legend.
The academics knew that Alfred and other members of his family had been reburied at Hyde Abbey in a norther suburb of the city when it was built centuries after their deaths, but the grave was lost after the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII.
It was thought the remains may have been moved to an unmarked grave at St. Bartholomew’s Church nearby, which was built using stones from the abbey.
AP Photo/PA, Steve ParsonsThree grave stones mark the site where Hyde Abbey once stood in Winchester, England, Friday Jan. 17, 2014. Researchers said Friday they may have discovered remains of King Alfred the Great, the 9th-century royal remembered for protecting England from the Vikings and educating a largely illiterate nation.The archeologists discovered six skeletons there. But when each was found to date from the 1300s, hundreds of years after Alfred’s death in 899, they turned to remains found in the late 1990s during a previous excavation of the abbey site itself.Alfred the Great, 849-899
Born in Wantage, Oxfordshire, in 849, Alfred became King of Wessex at the age of 21. He was crowned in 871 and reigned for 28 years
Following the wishes of his father, Aethelwulf, he succeeded to the kingship after his brothers, to avoid passing the crown to an under-age king when the country was under constant attack by Viking raiders
Alfred was battle-hardened when he came to the throne, having defeated the Danes at the Battle of Ashdown in 871. His army routed the invaders in a fierce uphill struggle but sustained heavy losses
In 878, the Danes took Chippenham, Wiltshire, in a surprise assault. Using the town as a fortified base, they struck out at Wessex and forced Alfred to retreat with the remains of his force
Copying their tactics, Alfred created a fort at Athelney, Somerset, summoned an army from Wiltshire, Somerset and Hampshire and used guerrilla tactics against the invaders
In 878 Alfred was victorious at the Battle of Edington, resulting in a treaty with the Danes. Peace was agreed on condition that the Danish King Guthrum was baptised and that his army leave Wessex
Once peace was established, Alfred reorganised southern England’s defences, creating a network of well-defended settlements and a navy of fast ships that left the kingdom less vulnerable
Alfred died in 899, aged 50, and was interred in Winchester
A popular legend, originating in the 12th century tells how when sheltering on the Somerset Levels, Alfred was taken in by a peasant woman who, unaware of his identity, left him to watch some cakes she had left cooking on the fire. Preoccupied with the problems of his kingdom, Alfred accidentally let them burn.
The Telegraph
In a storage box at Winchester’s City Museum they found a piece of human pelvic bone, including the right hip joint, which had been buried beneath the historic site of the high altar in 1999 but had never been examined.
It was found to have belonged to a young to middle-aged man who died between 895 and 1017, conceivably either Alfred or his son and successor Edward.
Although no DNA tests have been carried out, the bone is almost certainly from a member of the king’s family because it predates Hyde Abbey itself, experts said.
“The simplest explanation, given there was no Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Hyde Abbey, is that this bone comes from one of the members of the West Saxon royal family brought to the site,” said Dr. Katie Tucker, an osteoarcheologist at the University of Winchester, which carried out the excavation.
“However, historical evidence indicates that only the coffins of Alfred and Edward were buried at the site of the high altar.”
Alfred was initially interred at the city’s old minster, but was later moved with his wife and children to another church. All were reinterred at Hyde Abbey after it was consecrated in 1110.
The fact only the pelvis has been found is probably the fault of 18th-century convicts, who disturbed graves while building a prison.
“Almost certainly the royal graves were found in 1788 when they were building a prison on the site,” said Edward Fennell of Hyde900, a local historical society.
“The graves were destroyed and the bones were thrown around and buried hither and thither. That is why finding a random bone is not surprising.”
The society was behind the search for the king’s remains and is calling for further excavations of the abbey site.
Alfred the Great is remembered as the medieval king who protected southern England from the Vikings, as well as introducing a host of social and educational reforms.
M. C. Arvanitis, writer / WORDS TOGETHER MAKE TALES: Danger waiting in Council Bluffs, Iowa.Hank and h...
M. C. Arvanitis, writer / WORDS TOGETHER MAKE TALES: Danger waiting in Council Bluffs, Iowa.Hank and h...: Danger waiting in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Hank and his family left their home in Buck Creek, Iowa. They followed the Missouri River ...
Danger waiting in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Hank and his family left their home in Buck Creek, Iowa. They followed the Missouri River to Council Bluffs where they would cross by ferry over the Missouri River into Nebraska.
Why did Hank's Pa decide on homesteading in Nebraska? In the winter of 1853 General A. C. Dodge, one of the Iowa senators was traveling through Fremont County on horseback on a tour of investigation of the condition of western Iowa, its settlement, and the character of the country west of the Missouri. He became impressed with the importance of organizing all the country now included in Kansas and Nebraska as Nebraska Territory, and on his return to Washington he introduced such a bill. When it came back from the committee on territories, of which Senator Douglas was chairman, it was so amended as to provide for the organizing of two territories, one to be called Kansas and the other Nebraska." This movement was to be called the The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 and created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. Since Kansas was the scene of many bloody battles between those who wanted slavery and those who did not, and since this treaty protected the settlers from dealing in the slave traffic, it seemed to be the safest place.
(Excerpt from Chapter 10, The Butler Brothers, where Hank decides to explore the riverfront.
A commotion from a near by saloon caught Hank's attention. He walked to the open door and looked in. The two men who had almost run him down earlier were arguing with a young Union soldier. The scar-faced man shouted, “What’d ya say, Yankee?" “I said,” replied the soldier shaking his fist at the Butler brothers, “That the northern states will never allow slavery."
Scarface turned to his brother. “Did ya hear that, Hector?” Hector sneered his answer, “the only good Yank is a dead Yank!” At this the two men shoved the soldier out of the door. He stumbled and fell against Hank’s legs. Hank fell on top of the soldier. In an instant the scar-faced man pulled a pistol from his belt and aimed it at the soldier.
Hank froze! The gun barrel pointed directly at him- - - -.
Read more of Hank's adventures in this saga of pioneers of the Wild West.
(In e-reader form or print book)
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/336710http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00E7NKYSY
Danger waiting in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Hank and his family left their home in Buck Creek, Iowa. They followed the Missouri River to Council Bluffs where they would cross by ferry over the Missouri River into Nebraska. Why did Hank's Pa decide on homesteading in Nebraska? In the winter of 1853 General A. C. Dodge, one of the Iowa senators was traveling through Fremont County on horseback on a tour of investigation of the condition of western Iowa, its settlement, and the character of the country west of the Missouri. He became impressed with the importance of organizing all the country now included in Kansas and Nebraska as Nebraska Territory, and on his return to Washington he introduced such a bill. When it came back from the committee on territories, of which Senator Douglas was chairman, it was so amended as to provide for the organizing of two territories, one to be called Kansas and the other Nebraska." This movement was to be called the The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 and created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. Since Kansas was the scene of many bloody battles between those who wanted slavery and those who did not, and since this treaty protected the settlers from dealing in the slave traffic, it seemed to be the safest place.
(Excerpt from Chapter 10, The Butler Brothers, where Hank decides to explore the riverfront.
A commotion from a near by saloon caught Hank's attention. He walked to the open door and looked in. The two men who had almost run him down earlier were arguing with a young Union soldier. The scar-faced man shouted, “What’d ya say, Yankee?" “I said,” replied the soldier shaking his fist at the Butler brothers, “That the northern states will never allow slavery."
Scarface turned to his brother. “Did ya hear that, Hector?” Hector sneered his answer, “the only good Yank is a dead Yank!” At this the two men shoved the soldier out of the door. He stumbled and fell against Hank’s legs. Hank fell on top of the soldier. In an instant the scar-faced man pulled a pistol from his belt and aimed it at the soldier.
Hank froze! The gun barrel pointed directly at him- - - -.
Read more of Hank's adventures in this saga of pioneers of the Wild West.
(In e-reader form or print book)
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/336710http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00E7NKYSY
