MaryAnn Bernal's Blog, page 388

Sarah PJ White spotlights The Briton and the Dane: Corcordia featuring an excerpt

http://sarahpjwhite.com/the-briton-and-the-dane-concordia-mary-ann-bernal.html

Posted on August 10, 2013 by SarahPJWhite

On Wednesday I interviewed Mary Ann Bernal, as part of my ‘Author Spotlight’ section (you can read it here if you have already seen it). Today I’d like to share some more information I gleaned from that interview – about Mary Ann’s latest novel – The Briton and the Dane: Concordia – and her thoughts behind it.
What genre do you consider your latest book ‘The Briton and the Dane: Concordia’?Historical romance
How did you come up with the title?
Concordia is a character that was introduced in The Briton and the Dane trilogy, and this novel is her story.
What are your expectations for ‘The Briton and the Dane: Concordia’?
The title has been well-received and I hope sales will continue to excel, not only for this title, but for my other titles as well.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?There are multiple messages throughout all my titles:  father/son relationships, paganism/Christianity and how warfare affects the warrior and family life.
Which of your characters is your favourite and why?Brantson – the perfect hero.  His mature ability to love Concordia above himself, epitomizes the ideal relationship.  My female friends want their own Brantson so I am not alone with this choice.
Which of your characters is most/most unlike you?As with most authors, there is a little bit of the writer in every one of his/her characters.  If you combine my complex characters, you might find me, but there are no guarantees.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?My stories are the product of my imagination.  Since I am an incurable romantic Anglophile who is fascinated by the Viking age in Anglo-Saxon Britain, it is not difficult to come up with intrigue, betrayal and treachery themes.
Can you share a little of your current work with us?This the the preface for ‘The Briton and the Dane: Concordia’:
Concordia hurried across the deserted courtyard and headed towards the massive Keep that dominated King Alfred’s fortified city of Winchester.  She kept within the shadows and was grateful for the cloud cover while running past the soldiers patrolling the wall-walk and avoiding the ever-present sentries that walked the familiar streets.  She pulled her hood tighter around her face when a sudden gust of wind scattered the willowy clouds and moonbeams illuminated the darkened night.  She looked atop the tower and quickened her pace when she noticed a solitary figure glancing in her direction.
Concordia waved excitedly as she approached the stairwell and was out of breath by the time she reached the top.  Her eyes sparkled and her face was flushed as she removed her hood, her loose tresses caressing her face when touched by the whispering wind, her simple dress accentuating her curvaceous body while her cloak fluttered about her.
Thayer bowed ceremoniously, grasped her hand and kissed the tip of her fingers.  He laughed inwardly since he was amused by her reticence as she quickly withdrew her hand, yet he looked questionably into her glowing eyes while brushing aside unruly strands of hair that billowed effortlessly in the wind.
Concordia glanced upon the exotic Moor whom she admired from the moment he had arrived at the court school.  She had kept her distance because she feared the awakening emotions that consumed her thoughts whenever she came upon him, whether in the classroom or at the king’s table.  She remembered her embarrassment each time he caught her staring at him during one of Brother Frederic’s lengthy discussions; however, she was pleased when he winked in acknowledgement, and how could she forget the sparkle in his eyes?  His dark features added to his mystique, which fueled the budding fire within her soul.  Concordia sensed his excitement when their hands touched briefly each time he handed her a book or helped her rise from a chair.  She preferred sharing the evening meal at the king’s table where Thayer would be found sitting next to the queen, and she still had the flower petals he had given her when they first met.  She tried to suppress her feelings, knowing her father would never permit such a match, even though Concordia and Thayer shared a passion for knowledge in a world shrouded in warfare.
“You are trembling,” Thayer whispered as he pulled her closer and held her tightly in a loving embrace.
Concordia did not shy away from his touch, but welcomed his protective arms as she tried to control her rising emotions while fearing the truth of his words.  Her watery eyes glistened in the moonlight as she buried her head in his chest, taking deep breaths as her mind made sense of her chaotic thoughts while finding the courage to speak the words hidden within her heart.
“Do not be distressed,” Thayer said softly as he kissed the top of her head.  “Our friendship is unrivaled and I shall cherish the memories.”
Concordia freed herself from his embrace and walked towards the wall while admonishing herself for her foolishness.  He had spoken the truth, they were just friends, but because she was smitten, she believed he returned her love.  She would have been humiliated by her confession and silently thanked the Lord that she had held her tongue.
“I beg forgiveness,” Concordia said as she glanced upon the darkened landscape.  “I had grown accustomed to your presence in the classroom and will miss our debates.  I meant no offense.”
“Ah, Concordia, never apologize for speaking your thoughts…that is why I find you so refreshing…I have enjoyed our differing opinions…you will be sorely missed.”
Concordia wrapped her cloak tightly around her as wind gusts chilled the night air.  She smiled slightly when Thayer placed a velvet pouch in her hand, yet she was hesitant to accept the gift.
“Open it,” Thayer whispered in her ear.
Concordia gasped when she saw the gold bead necklace, but she could not curtain her excitement when she held the striking jewels against her chest.  The gold beads were interspersed with turquoise and blue glass of various designs, and each bead was elegantly embellished by exquisitely engraved decorations.
“I have never seen such intricate work,” Concordia said excitedly as Thayer clasped the necklace around her neck.  “There are no words…but I cannot accept such a costly gift.”
“You must, lest you offend my mother.”
“I do not understand…how am I known?”
“I had written my mother of our friendship…she sent this token so you may always remember the bond we share…it belonged to her mother…she insisted.”
“Tell her I am most pleased,” Concordia murmured as she held the beads gently between her fingers while averting his gaze.  “Tell her I shall never forget her kindness.”
“Come, the hour grows late…you must be in your chambers before you are missed.”
Concordia followed Thayer down the stairs as the clouds once again covered the full moon.  She walked silently beside the man who had captured her heart, etching his features into memory, to remember in the days ahead, when she grieved for a love that might have been.
Thayer stopped abruptly when they reached the king’s private quarters, grasped Concordia by the shoulders and kissed her gently upon her lips.
“Forgive my impertinence,” Thayer said softly.  “I cannot leave without telling you…if only…you must go before words are spoken that cannot be taken back…go!”
“I do not understand,” Concordia tearfully replied.  “Can you not see…”
“Hush,” Thayer interrupted as he placed his finger over her lips.  “I know.”
“Will I ever see you again?” Concordia asked, her voice choked with emotion.
“If Allah wills it,” Thayer replied kindly before he disappeared into the night.
Mary Ann Bernal and ‘The Briton and the Dane: Concordia’My thanks to Mary Ann Bernal for agreeing to be interviewed. If you’d like to find out more information on Mary Ann, you can check out her website at:
www.maryannbernal.com
Mary Ann’s latest novel, entitled ‘the Briton and the Dane: Concordia’ is available now on Amazon – just click on the links below!
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk

Gritty, Urban, 1970's - author Mark Barry interviewed by Matt Posner

author interview: gritty, urban, 1970's = Mark Barry
Posted by Matt Posner on August 9, 2013 at 7:30 AM



I haven't featured many interview this summer -- my summer has been all about writing. But if anyone could tempt me back to the interview scene, it would have to be one of the kindest gentlemen in UK publishing, MISTER Mark Barry.
(All links selected by Matt, not Mark's fault.)You live in the Midlands of England. Where exactly? And what is the best part of living there? I was born in Nottingham. The football team I support is here as is my son, Matt, and my family. I have had the opportunity on three occasions to live in the States, and sometimes think about what might have happened if I had made the leap. Certainly wouldn’t live anywhere else in England, I know that.  Best part? We’re bang in the centre of the country, and the travelling is equidistant whether we head north or south. The nightlife used to be amazing in Nottingham – people came from all over the country -  though not so much now because of the drug-fuelled stag and hen parties getting in everyone’s faces. Or maybe I’m just getting old! To start with, you are both an author and a publisher. How do you reconcile the two roles? I considered myself more of a writer than a publisher, but Reality Bites changed that in April – a lovely little anthology. My company will be publishing historical fiction author Mary Ann Bernal's next novel, The Briton and the Dane: Timeline, early next year, in addition to a couple of other projects.  I’m also hoping to work with schools in the coming six months, so Green Wizard, rather than Mark Barry, will be in the limelight. Matt says:  I interviewed Mary Ann Bernal here. Mark, speak as a publisher and talk about your business in terms of its marketing and its relations with authors The artist will be paramount at Green Wizard. I won’t intervene in anything the artist does as long as he/she produces a high quality product. There is a cornucopia of drivel out there, and I want Green Wizard to stand against the tide.  If an author sends me a vampire novel, it would have to be original, like Emma Edwards' Sanguinary. If an author’s genre is erotica, it would have to be VERY erotic and extremely original. I’m not publishing books for the sake of it, or for ego, which appears to be the current paradigm. I want to publish real stories, about real people, and real lives, even though it appears to be out of fashion nowadays. You are particularly inspired by the writing and popular culture of the 1970s. I grew up then also (born 1969) , and I have my favorites, but your attachment is very strong. Why is that? Creatively, the seventies were the apogee. Music, film, books. The Sixties destroyed everything that went before and the seventies rebuilt it in its image. Look at 1973. Harvest Home, The Rachel Papers, Pynchon’s amazing, Gravity’s Rainbow. Aladdin Sane. Dark Side of the Moon. Billy Cobham’s Spectrum.  It was a magnificent year for films: Enter the Dragon, The Wicker Man, The Exorcist, Malick’s Badlands,  Scorcese’s Mean Streets.  Politically, the world was on fire – in your country, you had Watergate and the fag-end of the Vietnam War. Over here we had a massive miner’s strike, the spectre of stagflation, the three-day week, wholesale power cuts. (I remember when my younger brother, mum and I sat round a table, freezing cold, with a candle on the table in front of us). 
The worse it got for everyone, it seems, the deeper the mother lode of creativity was mined. I think that was the most creative single year of our lifetime. I would like to write a book, which people might say was good enough to fit into that year. Something so good, so well written, so innovative, that people will talk about it as an epochal book.  Big dreams? Definitely. I also like the earthiness of the writing in that era. I read Jack’s Return Home by Ted Lewis the other day, which is the model for Get Carter, the classic British crime thriller from the early seventies. It’s magnificent.  It would never be published now because it’s not very well written (in terms of correct grammar, fashionable present tense ideation, all the ersatz dogma from Novel Writing 101 courses and creative writing degrees), but you can taste the beer, feel the recoil in every gunshot, and you can feel the passion in every line. My book Carla aims for that seventies feel, that dry, first person cynicism.  In another interview,  you spoke of having written at least a million words. I'm only about 3/4 of the way there myself. How can you concentrate? I’m always writing. Letters, e-mails, journals, blogs, etc. I love writing, and it’s so easy. You and I are very similar. You have a reverence for the sentence: I would love to write the perfect sentence, the perfect introduction to a book. I can see the beauty in words without meaning, the way words and sentences are structured. I think to get a perfect sentence, you have to write a million words! A lot of your novels are dramas set in urban settings. What draws you to this type of writing? My two football hooligan novels are based on real people, real stories and mythic events. Ultra Violence has sold far more than I expected, and I hope the sequel, Violent Disorder, exceeds expectations. You can drink in the same pubs, eat in the same restaurants, and follow the same journeys.  Carla and The Ritual are based in Southwell, and though I have changed the names of certain places, you can actually visit key scenes from the books. I love that in a book. You can keep your castles and your mythical dimensions – keep it real! The main character in Carla, John Dexter, has a meltdown and goes on a huge bender. You can follow that exact bender from pub to pub. He takes a break in a betting shop, and you can actually bet today with the people in that shop. I love that sense of fantasy meeting reality. That sense of grounding.  The film Dead Man’s Shoes by Shane Meadows operates on similar principles. Didn’t he use untrained actors? I swear I know one of the characters from school! I have no idea what genre this is - it makes for a tough sell on Amazon because their categories don’t fit. You use both male and female points of view. Does that present any unusual challenges? Three of the four main characters in The Ritual are female, and the narrator in The Illustrated Woman is female. Did I get it right? I don’t know. It was tough, but I’m not a macho sort of bloke, and I used to talk to a lot of women when I was in my twenties, so I gave it my best shot. The challenge is to keep it realistic and to make sure the reader suspends disbelief. The latter is banned in paperback in the UK, so I think I went well over the top somewhere.  Tell us about your new book, Violent Disorder.  Violent Disorder is the sequel to Ultra Violence. The story focuses on over-aged football hooligans who are unable to give up their addiction to fighting on a Saturday afternoon. I was at Sheffield United on Friday night, and the average age of the men trying to get into each other’s ends was about fifty!  Even though the novel was written for blokes with an interest in that traditional British pastime, football violence, women have not been put off by the subject matter. As a starting point, your readers might be interested in Carla, which is my best reviewed book that appeals to both genders, or Hollywood Shakedown, which has attracted a cult following; you either love enough to become a tee shirt wearing fanboy/girl, or you hate it and never finish it. There appears to be no middle ground. Second editions of both titles are being created as we speak. Tell an interesting story about your writing life. My first novel was written when I was twenty - a horror novel based on the cover of the first Black Sabbath album. It was written over a six month period on a manual typewriter for which I had to source ribbons in stationery shops. I used carbons and borrowed paper from my University. That winter was freezing cold, and I wrote the manuscript in the bay window of a bedsit with do-it-yourself double glazing made from cellophane wrapping. My fingers bled, and I developed early onset repetitive strain injuries.  I slaved over that novel. This was in the mid-eighties, a couple of years before the first personal computers – Amstrad, Apricot – were about to appear. The manuscript was a hundred and fifty pages long. Eagerly, and with some pride, I showed it to a few friends. One of them slated it. Said my factual essays were much better and that I shouldn’t bother with fiction. I took his criticism to heart and never wrote again for twenty years; unfortunately, my father burned the manuscript during a spell of house cleaning. I had a glass jaw then – now, I don’t even read reviews, good or bad! Tell an interesting story about your non-writing life.
 Family legend suggests I am related to the Royal Family. One of my great uncles is a second cousin of a dissolute Baronet (who himself is a bastard), and was probably fathered by one of the major Victorians visiting Brighton one August during Royal Fortnight.  His mother was a waitress at a seaside patisserie and - as a beautiful young woman in a society where advancement for working class women was an impossibility - moonlighted as a strumpet in an aristocratic brothel in Hove. With a lineage like this, anyone reading my books can be assured of the Royal Seal of Approval. Probably.  What would you like to add about your plans in order to conclude this interview?
The next year is massive for Mark Barry and for Green Wizard. I am about to start a new project loosely based on George Orwell's "Down and Out in Paris" except based in Nottingham. It is, as yet, untitled. I'm also working on an anthology called Seven Tales of Sex and Death also based around Nottingham. Depending on how fast I work, one of these will be out by Christmas and another by Spring. I'm also playing with a crime fiction novel, though this isn't proving easy. 
Mary Ann Bernal, my editor, and I are re-editing four of the first wave of Green Wizard books and my cover designer, Dark Dawn Creations, is designing new covers.

Finally, in 2014, depending on sales, I am going to write a long piece of work called The Castle which I hope will be 300,000 words long and as complex as Joyce's Ulysses. And that, Matt, will be it. I will have achieved everything I set out to do. Wish me luck.


Good luck.

The Wizard of Notts Shergar Cup Six

Shergar Cup Six Race 1: Roserrow  (Gary Stevens)Race 2: Broxbourne (NAP)Race 3: Doctor ParkesRace 4: ChesterfieldRace 5:Willie WagtailRace 6: Noble Deed (Next Best)
http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/racecards :-) Hope your readers win big....:-)    

History Trivia - Vikings defeat the English at the Battle of Maldon

August 10


955 Battle of Lechfeld: Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor defeated the Magyars (Hungarians), ending 50 years of Magyar invasion of the West.

991 Battle of Maldon: the English, led by Byrhtnoth, Ealdorman of Essex, were defeated by a band of inland-raiding Vikings near Maldon in Essex.

 1316 The Second Battle of Athenry during the Bruce campaign in Ireland. The Second Battle of Athenry marked the definitive end of the power of the Ua Conchobair (O'Connor's) as Kings of Connacht. The decades following marked the high point of Norman rule in Connacht, and the rise of the towns of Athenry and Galway as centers of economic and political power and wealth. Unlike the First Battle of Athenry in 1249, no account is given of the battle itself in any surviving account, and even the site of the battle itself is uncertain.

Choose Or Die: ABOUT

Choose Or Die: ABOUT: Once upon a time (don’t all good stories start that way?), young adult readers of the mid-to-late 80s had far more power than ...

This Week in Tennis 8-9-2013 The Return of Martina Hingis

http://thisweekintennispodcast.wordpress.com/2013/08/09/this-week-in-tennis-8-9-2013-the-return-of-martina-hingis/


Phil Naessens Viktor Troiki gets suspended for 18 months, Martina Hingis returns to the WTA Doubles Tour, the men are in Montreal and the women are in Toronto for the Rogers Cup. These are just some of the stories host Phil Naessens and special guest co-host Craig Doyle on this edition of This Week in Tennis

Ngaire Elder spotlights Marky the Wizard: Meadow Lane Mayhem with football hooligans

http://adventuresofceciliaspark.blogspot.com/2013/08/markys-meadow-lane-mayhem.html?showComment=1376047020137#c2314955669808883058
Marky's Meadow Lane MayhemMark Barry is a professional writer and publisher at Green Wizard. To date he has written seven novels. He is the proud father of son, Matt, and  his interests include beekeeping, quilling, spelunking and retired greyhounds.


Author, Mark Barry
Today the spotlight is on Mark's latest novel, Violent Disorder (published July 2013), the long awaited sequel to his best selling novel, Ultra Violence!

Violent Disorder is  about two brothers, supporters and ex-hooligans at an East Midlands football club, Notts County, the oldest league club in the world, who tell more of their tales to the young Internet writer who wrote the first book.  All the time, the spectre of the modern world overwhelms them and there is a big match coming up against a team with a massive gang of hooligans. Will they retire gracefully? Or will they join in the Saturday afternoon hi jinks and risk everything on one last fight.




Excerpt from Violent Disorder written by Mark Barry:


 The three of us walked down a path next to a scrupulously maintained lawn. In the centre was an ornamental wheelbarrow painted a mixture of red and blue. Unlike the famous Notts wheelbarrow, the wheel was solidly attached to the housing. One of the seven dwarves peeked out of the barrow in a green smock – a red nose and two big ears, the dwarf looked like a punch-drunk alcoholic. Indescribable flowers acting as the marching perimeter of the lawn struggled to bloom in the cold spring.Bull knocked on the door, which opened almost immediately. Britney was no more than twenty-five, and she looked more like a glamour model than an Aunty. Under no circumstances could I imagine her being an Aunty.Tall, bottle tanned, wearing coal black strappy sandals, a gold ankle chain and a striped blue vest top with visible blue bra straps. Cut off denim shorts bisecting her midriff. Ash blonde hair lashed back tightly in a ponytail. Legs, infinite, muscular (yet slender), having no beginning and no end.  Black nail polish on her hands and feet. A small tattoo on her ankle. I’d seen larger boobs, but I wouldn’t have cared – I was more of a leg man, and she was European Champions League standard in the legs department. She was gorgeous and smelt like it. Lemon and eucalyptus were dominant fragrances. Her eyes, bright blue, flashed when she looked at us, welcoming, accessible, and her raspberry-lipped beam was the warmest thing I had seen all day.Hi, guys, welcome to my humble abode, she said, a faint trace of Bristol in her accent. Tea? Coffee?Bull declined. No, love, if I don’t get back, my dinner is in the dog. This is me brother, HobNob.She held out her hand. HobNob could scarcely look at her. He didn’t look half as chirpy as he had earlier. He took her hand but looked at the carpet.Don’t by shy, you. Come on, I’ll make you a coffee. Your brother can pick you up tomorrow after we’ve got to know each other. She turned on her heels and walked into the kitchen.You c**t, HobNob commented.Wish I had an Aunty like this when we were growing up. Oh, and just in case…Bull passed over a metallic sheet of royal blue tablets. You’ll probably need these. I know I would.Uncertain, he trousered the pills wordlessly. Bull turned toward the door and waved to Aunty Britney who waved back cheerfully.Look after him. I’ll see you in the morning.See you, love, she replied.Leaving HobNob to his fate, we drove off, back toward Nottingham in the snow and the sleet.
What readers are saying about Ultra Violence (Amazon) :


~     I loved this book for it's distinctive writing style and entertaining storyline. I cannot wait for the second book to be released. There are not that many writers that possess this kind of innate ability.

~     An intriguing read which you will feel part of the more you read. A very strong recommend from me and I look forward already to the new book coming out next year

~    In true form Author Mark Barry produced a novel that told a unique story with many hard truths in it. I could visualize the sights, smell the smells, cringed at the bullying that occurred ... and the blood bath violence ... but this is what the story was about.

Adding in the failing marriage, the circumstance at the job, the pub, the fear, the attitudes - all of it was so real, so tangible...Get it. Read it. You won't be disappointed.



Recent review of Mark Barry's 
Violent Disorder   ~     The story revolves around the Bully Brothers, and their passionate support of the Notts Football team, which results in violent clashes with opposing fans on game day.   In this novel, HobNob and Bull draw the reader into their world, recounting horrific tales of brutality when football hooliganism ran rampant decades ago.  However, the sad truth reveals that the violent behavior still exists today as middle-aged men continue to pick up the gauntlet.  A powerful ending.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I recommend it to men, and women, on both sides of the pond. (source http://maryannbernal.blogspot.com )



Video footage of football hooliganism!

US Amazon Link - http://www.amazon.com/Violent-Disorder-ebook/dp/B00E8NVBNK

UK Amazon Link - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Violent-Disorder-ebook/dp/B00E8NVBNK

To find out more about author, Mark Barry, and his top-notch scribbles visit 

 http://greenwizard62.blogspot.co.uk/

Mark Barry on a recent spelunking trip ....Mark's favourite quote 'If you're going through Hell, keep going,' Winston Churchill.

The Phil Naessens Show 8-9-2013 A-Rod Appeals His Suspension

http://phillipnaessens.wordpress.com/2013/08/09/the-phil-naessens-show-8-9-2013-a-rod-appeals-his-suspension/

Alex Rodriquez appeals his 211 game suspension, the Oakland Athletics are struggling, Texas misses Nelson Cruz and the Memphis Grizzlies only have 14 Nationally televised games this season. Please join host Phil Naessens and guests Atletics Nation lead writer Alex Hall and Grizzly Bear Blues Managing Editor Kevin Lipe for all this and more on today’s Phil Naessens Show

History Trivia - Sistine Chapel opens

August 9

480 BC The Persian army defeated Leonidas and his Spartan army at Thermopylae, Persia.

48 BC – Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus (Greece) – Julius Caesar decisively defeated Pompey at Pharsalus and Pompey fled to Egypt where he was later murdered. As a result Caesar had absolute control of Rome.

117 Hadrian became Roman Emperor upon the death of Trajan.

378 Gothic War: Battle of Adrianople – A large Roman army led by Emperor Valens was defeated by the Visigoths in present-day Turkey. Valens was killed along with over half of his army.

681 Bulgaria was founded as a Khanate on the south bank of the Danube after defeating the Byzantine armies of Emperor Constantine IV south of the Danube delta.

1173 Construction of the campanile of the cathedral of Pisa (Leaning Tower of Pisa) begun; it would take two centuries to complete.

1274 Edward I was crowned King of England.

1483 Opening of the Sistine Chapel in Rome with the celebration of a Mass.

1655 Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell divided England into 11 districts.

The Wizard of Notts Recommends: Dubai Duty Free saddles up for annual Shergar Cup racing event 10 August 2013

Gary Stevens, rider of this year's Preakness winner Oxbow, represents the United States in the world's premier horse racing team event, the Shergar Cup. http://www.ascot.co.uk/shergarmeet/dubai-duty-free-shergar-cup     http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/79932/stevens-to-lead-world-team-in-shergar-cup Stevens to Lead 'World' Team in Shergar CupBy Blood-Horse Staff Updated: Thursday, August 8, 2013 1:04 PM
Posted: Wednesday, August 7, 2013 7:39 PM Photo: Skip DicksteinGary Stevens
Order This Photo Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens departed Aug. 7 for England where he will captain the "Rest of the World" team for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup international jockey competition at Ascot Aug. 10.

Stevens' teammates are Japanese star Yosunari Iwatu and Brazil's Joao Moreira, currently topping the standings in Singapore. Rosie Napravnik is the U.S. representative on a Women's Team that includes Hayley Turner of England and Lisa Alpress of New Zealand. Teams from England and Ireland are still to be announced.

Chantal Sutherland took part in the Shergar Cup in 2012 and came out of it assessed a four-day suspension for infractions of use of whip rules in England. She received a deferment of the penalty so she could ride Game On Dude to a runner-up finish in the Pacific Classic (gr. I).

Stevens, 50, returned earlier this year after a seven-year retirement and made a world-wide impression winning the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) aboard Oxbow for trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Stevens ranks fifth in victories for the Del Mar meeting but first for winning percentage, having notched 11 wins from 35 mounts (31%).

Stevens is no stranger to racing in England, having spent the summer of 1999 as stable rider for Sir Michael Stoute, and has experience in the Shergar Cup. "It's an honor to be invited back, and I'm very excited about it," Stevens said in a press release.

Craig O'Bryan, Stevens' agent, said Stevens would return to riding at Del Mar Aug. 14.


Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/79932/stevens-to-lead-world-team-in-shergar-cup#ixzz2bQdmRkoE