MaryAnn Bernal's Blog, page 479
January 2, 2013
History Trivia
January 2
69 Vitellius was named emperor.
366 The Alemanni crossed the frozen Rhine River in large numbers and invaded the Roman Empire.
533 Mercurius became Pope John II, the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy.
1492 Moorish Granada fell, completing the reconquest of Spain by Christian monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella.
1602 Battle at Kinsale, Ireland: English army defeated Spanish forces.
January 1, 2013
The Wizard's Cauldron: An Interview with Val-Rae Christensen
The Wizard's Cauldron: An Interview with Val-Rae Christensen: A relaxed Val-Rae Christensen Val-Rae Christensen is a writer's writer. That is, a writer liked and respected by other writers. Un...
The Briton and the Dane Concordia by Mary Ann Bernal Book Review
Book Review and Radio Interview: The Briton and The Dane:Concordia by Mary Ann Bernal
by Phil Naessens
Posted by pnaessensshow on January 1, 2013 at 3:00 AM
[image error]
If you enjoy historical novels than Author Mary Ann Bernal's latest literary offering The Briton and The Dane: Concordia is a book you will want to add to your library and one you will read again and again and not be disappointed.
Ms. Bernal does an amazing job creating the characters and the scenes in the book are not only believable but these fictional people actually come alive on the page in such a way it’s almost as if you are watching a movie.
The Briton and The Dane: Concordia is chock full of everything; suspense, intrigue, treachery, deceit and romance fill the pages of this wonderful book and the main character Concordia, the beautiful cunning 19 year old child of privilege plays a large role in all of it.
I enjoyed this book so much that I invited the author to appear on my syndicated radio program and you can listen to that interview
http://archive.org/download/Pns1012013TheCivilianPoliceCorps/Pns1012013CivilianPoliceCorps.mp3
Ms. Bernal also joined me on The Writers Showcase Podcast with Phil Naessens and you are invited to listen to that program
http://thewritersshow.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/the-writers-showcase-podcast-e02-mary-ann-bernal/
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of The Briton and The Dane: Concordia from the author. In no way was I asked to offer a favorable review nor was this copy given to me as payment for an appearance on The Phil Naessens Show.
by Phil Naessens
Posted by pnaessensshow on January 1, 2013 at 3:00 AM [image error]
If you enjoy historical novels than Author Mary Ann Bernal's latest literary offering The Briton and The Dane: Concordia is a book you will want to add to your library and one you will read again and again and not be disappointed.
Ms. Bernal does an amazing job creating the characters and the scenes in the book are not only believable but these fictional people actually come alive on the page in such a way it’s almost as if you are watching a movie.
The Briton and The Dane: Concordia is chock full of everything; suspense, intrigue, treachery, deceit and romance fill the pages of this wonderful book and the main character Concordia, the beautiful cunning 19 year old child of privilege plays a large role in all of it.
I enjoyed this book so much that I invited the author to appear on my syndicated radio program and you can listen to that interview
http://archive.org/download/Pns1012013TheCivilianPoliceCorps/Pns1012013CivilianPoliceCorps.mp3
Ms. Bernal also joined me on The Writers Showcase Podcast with Phil Naessens and you are invited to listen to that program
http://thewritersshow.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/the-writers-showcase-podcast-e02-mary-ann-bernal/
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of The Briton and The Dane: Concordia from the author. In no way was I asked to offer a favorable review nor was this copy given to me as payment for an appearance on The Phil Naessens Show.
In the Midst: The Writers Showcase 2013
In the Midst: The Writers Showcase 2013: The Writers Showcase host Phil Naessens explains what the program and the website are all about, how writers can get involved and introdu...
In the Midst: Mary Ann Bernal on The Writers Showcase!
In the Midst: Mary Ann Bernal on The Writers Showcase!: Click here to see full article! Includes book review and a bit about the book Concordia. Click here to listen to the p...
History Trivia
January 1 45 BC Julius Caesar's calendar reform: 365 days in 12 months with leap years every four years was introduced. 43 BC Cicero delivered his Fifth Philippic (fifth of a series of speeches condemning Mark Antony) in the Roman Senate. 27 BC Octavian became the first emperor of Rome and took the name Caesar Augustus. 404 Last gladiator competition in Rome.
1431 Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia) was born. 1600 Scotland began its numbered year on January 1 instead of March 25. 1651 Charles II was crowned King of Scotland. 1801 The Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland created the United Kingdom.
December 31, 2012
Gladiator's Pen: A Gladiator, Tardis, and The Great Liebster Award
Gladiator's Pen: A Gladiator, Tardis, and The Great Liebster Award: This author has been given the honor of being nominated for the Liebster Awaard . I was nominated by Mary Ann Bernal , author of the Bri...
Independent Author Index Short Story Compilation, Volume 2
The Ritual, a short story by Mary Ann Bernal, is included in the Independent Author Index Short Story Compilation
The Ritual is a story about an impressionable young woman's initiation into a modern-day pagan sect on All Hallows' Eve in a mausoleum. She becomes terrified when she witnesses the first initiation amidst a raging storm and flees for her life, but will she survive the tempest?
Excerpt
Loud rolls of thunder shook the earth, bright flashes of lightning streaking across the darkened sky as fierce winds battered the countryside. Swollen storm clouds hovered menacingly above the cemetery, threatening the celebration of All Hallows' Eve.
The small crowd had gathered in the old section of the graveyard where the mausoleums of the city's once eminent families still stood, long forgotten by their descendants and falling into disrepair. Statues of angels protected most of the marble and stone structures, their sightless eyes watching every move. However, two buildings were bereft of religious connotation and the inscriptions above the doors were difficult to read. Yet the family names were well known to the men and women who were waiting patiently for the high priest to arrive.
Ashley held onto Kent's arm tightly, standing firmly against the wind gusts that toppled the nearby treetops and scattered the fallen leaves while glancing at the neglected tomb where her ancestors rested. She was proud to be a Raven just as Kent was proud to be a Wolf, their lineage tracing back to the ancient Celts. She envisioned the ancient rituals in her mind's eye, smiling when she remembered being married to Kent. However, when she thought about her own initiation she was overcome with fear, recalling her terror when the high priest placed her naked upon the altar. She had tried to be brave for Kent,not wishing to embarrass him before his friends, but she could not control her tears. She had kept her eyes closed when they prayed above her, their hands perilously close to her exposed flesh. She remembered being relieved when the initiation was over, but she also remembered her anger when Kent had chastised her for crying and for her misplaced modesty.
Two new members would be initiated this night, but only Devona mattered, and Devona had no knowledge of what the ritual entailed. Ashley wanted to tell Devona so she would not be afraid but Kent had forbidden it, reminding her of the punishment she would suffer once the high priest learned of her meddling.
Devona and Ashley met at the Laundromat, and they quickly became friends. Devona was a country girl, having moved to the city recently to perform on stage, but the play closed within a week and Devona needed a job. Ashley found her a position in her law firm where she had met Bronson Wolf, and it was Bronson who had introduced her to their religious beliefs.
The high priest and his assistants walked solemnly through the crumbling gate as the thunder and lightning intensified. He opened the entrance to the Wolf mausoleum, entering quickly with his followers not far behind just as a heavy rain began to pummel the earth. Once the fire was lit, one of the assistants closed the door, sealing them in.
The group encircled a stone coffin that had been placed in the center of the small building that was being used for an altar that was covered with flaming candles. Incense burned in a bronze offering bowl, the billowing smoke filtering through the air. The assistants kept their heads covered, their black garments blending well in the darkened room, their piercing eyes glaring menacingly at Ashley, or so she thought.
Ashley grasped Devona's hand, squeezing her fingers reassuringly, mouthing words of comfort while noticing beads of sweat dripping down the side of her face. She would have said something, believing Devona wanted to leave, but the high priest raised his hands above him, chanting the offertory prayers loudly to be heard over the thunder. The ritual had begun.
Purchase link: http://amzn.to/VkY2pK
The Ritual is a story about an impressionable young woman's initiation into a modern-day pagan sect on All Hallows' Eve in a mausoleum. She becomes terrified when she witnesses the first initiation amidst a raging storm and flees for her life, but will she survive the tempest?
ExcerptLoud rolls of thunder shook the earth, bright flashes of lightning streaking across the darkened sky as fierce winds battered the countryside. Swollen storm clouds hovered menacingly above the cemetery, threatening the celebration of All Hallows' Eve.
The small crowd had gathered in the old section of the graveyard where the mausoleums of the city's once eminent families still stood, long forgotten by their descendants and falling into disrepair. Statues of angels protected most of the marble and stone structures, their sightless eyes watching every move. However, two buildings were bereft of religious connotation and the inscriptions above the doors were difficult to read. Yet the family names were well known to the men and women who were waiting patiently for the high priest to arrive.
Ashley held onto Kent's arm tightly, standing firmly against the wind gusts that toppled the nearby treetops and scattered the fallen leaves while glancing at the neglected tomb where her ancestors rested. She was proud to be a Raven just as Kent was proud to be a Wolf, their lineage tracing back to the ancient Celts. She envisioned the ancient rituals in her mind's eye, smiling when she remembered being married to Kent. However, when she thought about her own initiation she was overcome with fear, recalling her terror when the high priest placed her naked upon the altar. She had tried to be brave for Kent,not wishing to embarrass him before his friends, but she could not control her tears. She had kept her eyes closed when they prayed above her, their hands perilously close to her exposed flesh. She remembered being relieved when the initiation was over, but she also remembered her anger when Kent had chastised her for crying and for her misplaced modesty.
Two new members would be initiated this night, but only Devona mattered, and Devona had no knowledge of what the ritual entailed. Ashley wanted to tell Devona so she would not be afraid but Kent had forbidden it, reminding her of the punishment she would suffer once the high priest learned of her meddling.
Devona and Ashley met at the Laundromat, and they quickly became friends. Devona was a country girl, having moved to the city recently to perform on stage, but the play closed within a week and Devona needed a job. Ashley found her a position in her law firm where she had met Bronson Wolf, and it was Bronson who had introduced her to their religious beliefs.
The high priest and his assistants walked solemnly through the crumbling gate as the thunder and lightning intensified. He opened the entrance to the Wolf mausoleum, entering quickly with his followers not far behind just as a heavy rain began to pummel the earth. Once the fire was lit, one of the assistants closed the door, sealing them in.
The group encircled a stone coffin that had been placed in the center of the small building that was being used for an altar that was covered with flaming candles. Incense burned in a bronze offering bowl, the billowing smoke filtering through the air. The assistants kept their heads covered, their black garments blending well in the darkened room, their piercing eyes glaring menacingly at Ashley, or so she thought.
Ashley grasped Devona's hand, squeezing her fingers reassuringly, mouthing words of comfort while noticing beads of sweat dripping down the side of her face. She would have said something, believing Devona wanted to leave, but the high priest raised his hands above him, chanting the offertory prayers loudly to be heard over the thunder. The ritual had begun.
Purchase link: http://amzn.to/VkY2pK
History Trivia
December 31 192 The Roman emperor Commodus, whose brutal reign ended 90 years of peaceful prosperity, was assassinated. 406 Vandals, Alans and Suebians crossed the Rhine, which began an invasion of Gaul. 535 Byzantine General Belisarius completed the conquest of Sicily, defeating the Ostrogothic garrison of Syracuse, and ending his consulship for the year. 870 Skirmish at Englefield: Ethelred of Wessex beat the Danish invasion army. 1229 James I of Aragon the Conqueror entered Medina Mayurqa (Palma, Spain) thus consummating the Christian reconquest of the island of Majorca.1502 Cesare Borgia (son of pope Alexander VI) occupied Urbino (walled city in the Marche region of Italy).
