MaryAnn Bernal's Blog, page 486
December 12, 2012
History Trivia
December 12
884 Charles the Fat inherited the West Frankish lands and briefly reunited the empire of his ancestor Charlemagne.
1098 First Crusade: Massacre of Ma'arrat al-Numan – Crusaders breached the town's walls and massacred about 20,000 inhabitants. After finding themselves with insufficient food, they resorted to cannibalism.
1112 Tancred of Antioch died.
1189 Richard I left England, where he spent less than six months of his reign, to join the Third Crusade.
1408, The Order of the Dragon a monarchical chivalric order was created by Sigismund of Luxembourg, then King of Hungary.
Ngaire Elder: Liebster Award Nominee
Ngaire Elder: Liebster Award Nominee: I was fortunate to be nominated to participate in the Liebster Award by author, Mary Ann Bernal http://maryannbernal.blogspot.com . Here ...
December 11, 2012
The story behind The Briton and the Dane Trilogy
http://youtu.be/fH1qSGHOSMA
The Story behind The Briton and the Dane Trilogy
Cover design by Steven Novak I fell in love with medieval England after reading Sir Walter Scott’s “Ivanhoe” in my sophomore year of high school, but my interests soon turned towards the Dark Ages when the formidable Vikings harassed the civilized world once Hollywood released such blockbusters as “The Vikings,” “The Longships,” and “Erik the Viking.” Add to the mix “Alfred the Great,” “Prince Valiant,” and “King Arthur,” and an incurable romantic anglophile was born.
As time went on Hollywood changed its venue of period movies, but I found solace with the many British programs being aired on our local PBS station. With the advent of BBC America and History International, I was able to find great documentaries such as “The Dark Ages,” “Life in Anglo-Saxon Times,” “Dark Age England,” and “Viking Exploration,” to name but a few.
During this time, Erik the Viking was hovering in the cobwebs of my creative mind, waiting to escape oblivion, waiting to tell his story, waiting and waiting and waiting, but it was not until 2008 that I was able to find the time to devote to fulfilling my lifelong dream of writing my Erik the Viking novel.
Why did I focus on Alfred the Great and King Guthrum? I chose these two formidable characters because I find them fascinating. This was a time of conflict and change, when Christianity was replacing the pagan religion, and the feared Vikings no longer plundered the fertile country of Britannia but remained and settled the land.
When King Alfred defeated King Guthrum in 878, one of the terms for peace was the Christian baptism of the Danish King. I wondered how this heathen King might have felt about denying the gods of his ancestors as he willingly accepted the Roman Christ God, and also wondered how willing his subjects had been to submit to the rules of the new religion.
In addition to the religious conflict, there were also petty Kings who coveted the throne, not only King Alfred’s crown, but King Guthrum’s as well. Throw into the mix, illegitimate offspring and you have all the makings for a great story.
While Erik started out as my main character, the supporting characters quickly sought to usurp the protagonist role. I had often heard the phrase, “but then my characters took over,” and suddenly discovered that the statement is very true. Erik had to share the limelight with the many prominent figures, and these characters refused to play a minor role in an ongoing saga.
The same holds true for the antagonist; there are many opponents as the story unravels, each with their own agenda, but each seeking power and wealth.
I delve into the minds of the characters as they deal with conflicts that are quite common today: father/son relationships and acknowledgement of paternity, religious confrontation, and warfare. The people who lived in the Ninth Century were flesh and blood as we are flesh and blood. They faced the same problems, made similar choices, and perhaps regretted their decisions, just like us.
I also wanted to reach out to the families of our modern day warriors, and to remind everyone that the only thing that has changed in warfare over time has been its weaponry. What has not changed is the anxiety as one awaits the fate of loved ones; waiting is difficult no matter which century a person lives in.
Since “The Briton and the Dane: Legacy” is the third and final installment of the trilogy, I should be willing to say goodbye…the key word here is should…but there are many stories still to tell, and many characters to meet, and enough passion, intrigue, treachery and betrayal to enthrall an audience…so fear not my faithful fans, the series will continue.
“The Briton and the Dane” trilogy has been a joy to write, and I trust a joy to read. Enjoy the adventure, it only gets better.
Coming Soon:
“The Briton and the Dane: Concordia” - available 2013 http://youtu.be/yDPaiQqmaIs
Cover design by Steven Novak Visit my webpage (http://www.maryannbernal.com) for more information.
In the Midst: Article - The Briton and The Dane: Legacy by Mary ...
In the Midst: Article - The Briton and The Dane: Legacy by Mary ...: About the Briton and The Dane: Legacy Third book in Trilogy About The Briton and The Dane: Legacy It was a time before England's Golden Age;...
In the Midst: New Book Review on The Examiner
In the Midst: New Book Review on The Examiner: Price of Justice by Alan Brenham Click here for the link to go to The Examiner Article
Carla (and other Green Wizard stories): New mini Green Wizard Catalogue
Carla (and other Green Wizard stories): New mini Green Wizard Catalogue: Of course, this catalogue is downloadable to your right!!! or drop me a line and you can have a copy...
The Ritual by Mark Barry
Mary Ann Bernal review of The Ritual by Mark Barry
The Ritual is an interesting take on a satanic theme whereby the devil returns to earth and claims a human bride. The story begins when Phillippa and her daughter Jennifer travel from the US to Wheatley Fields, England, so that Phillippa could be near her brother, Damon, in his darkest hour. Mother and daughter are seen at the airport, quite by chance, by a member of religious cult who believes Phillippa resembles the woman that had been instrumental in establishing the Church’s formation in the last century, and plans are quickly put into place to prepare for the sacrificial rites, and the return of Satan to rule the world. Mr. Barry’s story captivates the reader with its twists and turns - a page turner that builds up to a suspenseful crescendo, which culminates in an unexpected ending. An excellent horror story that will cause nightmares, if one is not into horror and the occult.
The Ritual is an interesting take on a satanic theme whereby the devil returns to earth and claims a human bride. The story begins when Phillippa and her daughter Jennifer travel from the US to Wheatley Fields, England, so that Phillippa could be near her brother, Damon, in his darkest hour. Mother and daughter are seen at the airport, quite by chance, by a member of religious cult who believes Phillippa resembles the woman that had been instrumental in establishing the Church’s formation in the last century, and plans are quickly put into place to prepare for the sacrificial rites, and the return of Satan to rule the world. Mr. Barry’s story captivates the reader with its twists and turns - a page turner that builds up to a suspenseful crescendo, which culminates in an unexpected ending. An excellent horror story that will cause nightmares, if one is not into horror and the occult.
