Forthcoming: ‘The Ashes of Heaven’s Pillar’
Kim Rendfeld is pleased, ecstatic, thrilled, and tickled to death to announce that she has received a signed contract from Fireship Press for her second novel, now titled The Ashes of Heaven’s Pillar.
OK, I would have rolled my eyes at that lead when I was a journalist, but I am truly excited about this project, a companion to The Cross and the Dragon. Details have yet to be worked out, but check out the latest version of the blurb:
Can a mother’s love triumph over war?
Charlemagne’s 772 battles in Saxony have left Leova with nothing but her two children, Deorlaf and Sunwynn. Her husband died in combat. Her faith lies in the ashes of the Irminsul, the Pillar of Heaven. And the relatives obligated to defend her and her family sold them into slavery, stealing their farm.
Taken in Francia, Leova will stop at nothing to protect her son and daughter, even if it means sacrificing her honor and her safety. Her determination only grows stronger as Sunwynn blossoms into a beautiful young woman attracting the lust of a cruel master and Deorlaf becomes a headstrong man willing to brave starvation and demons to free his family.
Yet Leova’s most difficult dilemma comes in the form of a Frankish friend, Hugh. He saves Deorlaf from a fanatical Saxon Christian and is Sunwynn’s champion—and he is the warrior who slew Leova’s husband.
Interested? Read drafts of an excerpt or the first chapter. And if you’d like me to let you know when it’s available, leave a comment below or e-mail me at kim [at] kimrendfeld [dot] com.
In the meantime, you might occasionally see some news about The Cross and the Dragon. On Friday, I had a nice chat with David William Wilkin, who writes in the Regency era. His questions include what moved me to become an author and what was most challenging about writing the book.
The Cross and the Dragon also continues to receive praise. Lucy at Enchanted by Josephine Art and History Salon writes that The Cross and the Dragon is “a novel busting with impeccable details that carried me vividly into medieval times. A wonderful debut for Kim Rendfeld!”
Emma at Words and Peace rated the novel “OMG! You must read this NOW!” Here is a snippet from her review: “I really enjoyed this book a lot. I felt it was extremely well researched, historically speaking, but also with lots of details on daily lives, on food and clothes, for instance. The characters, both men and women, soldiers, wives or nuns, have very strong characters and are richly defined.”
