Diana talks to the Review's one and only and totally inimitable Paula Lofting !

Hello Paula!!! How lovely to chat with you!

I am sure that you are tired of being asked the usual questions that would be interviewers ask authors, so hopefully this interview is an interview with a difference and I have come up with some unusual questions!

First things first I am sure there is a question that you have always longed to be asked. Now is the chance. Ask your own question and answer it!

Who is your favourite Character in your books? It has to be Tovi, because a: my readers love him, and b: he’s been given a bum deal by his family.

What is the genre you are best known for? Definitely Historical fiction, well that’s all I’ve managed to write about so far, though I did start a psychological thriller some years ago and only got so far with it. I do plan to write one someday, though, and hopefully a ghosty story and a fantasy.

If your latest book Sons of the Wolf: The Wolf Banner   was adapted into a TV show or a film, who would you like to play the lead role? Probably Charlie Hunman, he’s the right age for Wulfhere. Years ago I would have opted for Kevin McKidd but I think he would be too old now.

What made you choose this genre? A love of history, and a visit to the annual Battle of Hastings inspired me.

How do you get ideas for plots and characters? It all started with a book called 1066: Year of the Conquest by David Howarth. He described his home in Sussex, a little village called Little Horsted, as if it were the year 1066. He talked about the thegn who owned the land, what he owned as per the Domesday Book, and what his duties might have been. He described how life in a village in 1066 might have looked and what might one expect to see if one was to visit. He talked about the forest and a picture of children running through it, swimming in the river, and playing on a rope-swing. As I only love a few miles away, I decided to drive out there. It’s still pretty much the same as it was back then. A little hamlet. When I went home, I just wrote what came into my head as I thought about where I had been and the story began to write itself.

Favourite picture or work of art? Gosh, I don’t really think I have one. I’m not clued up on that sort of thing. I guess I could say my children. They’re my works of art. (That is a lovely sentiment and one I can so totally relate to. Diana)

If, as a one off, (and you could guarantee publication!)  you could write anything you wanted, is there another genre you would love to work with and do you already have a budding plot line in mind? Yes, as I’ve said before, I’d love to write a psychological thriller. And yes, I do have a plot in mind. And I may revisit it at some point in the future.

Was becoming a writer a conscious decision or something that you drifted into (or even something so compelling that it could not be denied?) How old were you when you first started to write seriously. I have always wanted to write since I was a young girl, however as I got older, life went on a tangent. Things were difficult for a while, and my confidence was knocked, but when things improved, the idea that perhaps I could actually write a book and it was all I could think about.

Marmite? Love it or hate it? Love it but it stinks on one’s breath!

Do you have any rituals and routines when writing? Your favourite cup for example or ‘that’ piece of music...?? Silence, that’s all. I need silence otherwise my brain can’t handle it. It can’t filter noise.

I promise I won’t tell them the answer to this, but when you are writing, who is more important, your family or your characters? It sort of has to be my family, mainly because I can’t help but worry about them, so if they need me or want me to do something, I always put the lap top down and attend them!

Other than writing full time, what would be your dream job? I have my dream job. I’m a nurse and work 30 hours a week running a mental health clinic in a GP’s surgery. I love it.

Coffee or tea? Red or white? Tea. I don’t drink because it took away my aspirations and I couldn’t allow that to happen again. (I hear you... That. Diana)

How much of your work is planned before you start? Do you have a full draft or let it find its way? I have a plot in my head, but mostly I let the story write itself. It seems to follow a natural progression of what the characters might do, or how they might behave in a certain situation.

If you had free choice over the font your book is printed in, what font/fonts would you choose? I really font know, lol! (Groan!!)

Imagine that you could get hold of any original source document. What would it be? Imagine being able to get your hands on the Domesday book? OMG that would be like heaven

Have any of your characters ever shocked you and gone off on their own adventure leaving you scratching your head??? If so how did you cope with that!? Absolutely, you know him. Burghred. He was only supposed to have had a minor part and he refused to back down, making a nuisance of himself until I had to go with it. He basically created a thread of his own, took the plot and ran off with it.

How much research do you do and do you ever go on research trips? I’ve been around the West Country to visit the places in my book. But just the once. I’ve also read widely, mainly before and just in the beginnings. Every now and then if I am writing a particular theme, I will read something. I’m also a re-enactor so that helps.

Fiction authors have to contend with real characters invading our stories. Are there any ‘real’ characters you have been tempted to prematurely kill off or ignore because you just don’t like them or they spoil the plot? Yes, but I won’t say who. And I don’t go through with it.

Are you prepared to go away from the known facts for the sake of the story and if so how do you get around this? No, not really. But in the case of like what happened in Wolf Banner, there is only the suggestion of what happens, I’ll try and fill in the gaps with a plausible outcome.

Do you find that the lines between fact and fiction sometimes become blurred? Absolutely. Especially in the period I write in, the 11thc.

Have you ever totally hated or fallen in love with one of your characters? I love all my characters, even the villains. They are my children and deserve for someone to understand why they are driven to do the things they do.

What do you enjoy reading for pleasure? Well, wouldn’t you know it, anything historical, fictional, or factional.

What drink would you recommend drinking whilst reading your latest book? Currently I am drinking pepsi lol.

Last but not least... favourite author? I have to say that currently there are a few, but from my early influences, Charles Dickens, Mary Stewart, Sharon Penman, Rosemary Sutcliffe and Leon Garfield.

About Paula:

Paula has always wanted to write. Since she was a little girl, coming home from school to sit at the table with her notebook and write stories that buzzed around in her head. A prolific reader, she loved nothing better than to spend my weekends with a book in her hand. Earliest influences such as Rosemary Sutcliffe, Leon Garfield, Charles Dickens, C.S.Lewis, inspired an interest in history. It became her lifelong wish to one day write and publish a book, but not being able to type, and having no funds for a typewriter to learn on, this ambition was reluctantly put on hold.
With the advent of PC's and a need to retrain and use a computer, this old ambition was stirred and she decided to rekindle her love of books and writing at the grand old age of 42. at this point, she had reached a turning point in her life and studied nursing, and also decided to write the book she had promised herself one day she would write.

Her début novel, 'Sons of the Wolf' was first published with the assistance of SilverWood Books in 2012. More recently she has republished it with her new publishing company Longship Books, in kindle. A new paperback version will be published by June. It is a story set in the years leading up to the Norman Conquest of England and the first in the Sons of the Wolf series, about this amazing time in English history.

She has always admired the works of Sharon Penman and Bernard Cornwell, Edith Pargetter and Mary Stewart, amongst many others. History is a great love of hers and her interest in the subject goes beyond that of the keyboard. She also enjoys Anglo-Saxon re-enactment with Regia Anglorum, also a great source of research for my writing.
Paula says:
"Write for enjoyment, write for yourself, regardless of what is popular and selling; for if you don't write what you love, then how can you expect others to love what you write."

Post Script. In addition to all this she is a wonderful friend.

Ms Lofting after defeating the entire Norman army, single handed.

If you would like to read my blog about the group Paula Loftingis in and the building of a Shield Wall, click this link
Regia Anglorum: Building a Shield Wall


 © Diana Milne January 2017 © Paula Lofting October 2017

Hastings 950 - The Battle by Rob Bayliss

On Monday 25^th September, just five days after their victory  at the Battle of Fulford Gate, King Harald III of Norway and his English ally Tostig Godwinsson were relaxed, camped eight miles east of York at Stamford Bridge. A cloud of dust was seen approaching on the road from the city. Harald and Tostig took it to be a delegation from the defeated Earls Edwin and Morcar bearing tribute and hostages. But the keen eyed among the host saw the tell-tale glint of mail and spear points.  King Harold II, brother of Tostig had arrived with the royal army from his watch over the English Channel.

A forced march of 180 miles in four days by Harold and his standing army of huscarls, collecting fyrd (militiamen) on the way, had caught Harald, the famed ex-commander of the Varangian Guard completely by surprise. Harald’s army would fight bravely, but the English victory over the Norse invader was utterly decisive. Harold had said that would only yield Harald “six feet of English earth or seven as he is so tall”. From a fleet of 300 ships only 24 were needed to ferry the defeated survivors home. Both Tostig and Harald lay slain.

The blood of the slaughter had barely soaked into the ground when word arrived to Harold’s ears that the much feared invasion from Normandy had taken place. Duke William had landed at Pevensey on the 28^th while Harold and his forces had been in the north. It is thought that Harold was informed of this event during his march back south, which would account for the lack of Edwin and Morcar’s forces at the subsequent battle. Harold hurried back south to London and made his preparations for the most crucial and decisive of battles; the Battle of Hastings that took place on Saturday 14^th October 1066.

The Normans land and establish their bridgehead - Bayeux Tapestry

The two armies that faced each other that momentous day would look similar but fought using different tactics.

Huscarl - Regia Anglorum

Although still a heroic society the English army had evolved from the days of warlords having retinues of hearth troops, although it retained an aspect of this tradition. The great lords of the day such as King Harold and the earls had their huscarls; the heavy infantry of the day, perhaps on a par with the famed Varangian guard in Byzantium. The huscarls had been introduced some 50 years earlier during Cnut’s reign. These were experienced professional warriors, possibly some of the best soldiers to be found in Europe at the time. They had taken the ancient tactics of the shieldwall and
developed them. Each huscarl would have a long hauberks of mail with a coif and conical helm with a nasal guard. They carried long kite shields and, as well as being armed with swords and throwing spears, they also were adept with the dreaded Danish axe. This was a fearsome weapon, it was able to break shields, lop off limbs and even decapitate a horse in a single blow.

Around this core were the fyrd. The fyrd system dated from King Alfred’s time. These were territorials who were bound to give two months service a year. They were raised on the basis on one man for every 5 hides of land. This raised around twenty shillings which would pay for the warrior’s weapons, armour and food. These warriors would probably have the more traditional round shields. In theory a king could call upon up to 20,000 fyrd, but such a number could never be raised at once due to the practicalities of communication and logistics at this time. As well as these semi-professionals Harold could also call on all freemen to his banners in a time of national emergency. Such men would have grabbed any weapon to hand, whether spear or scythe.

There are further factors effecting numbers available to Harold; the Southern Fyrd had been on duty all summer in expectation of the Norman invasion and had been disbanded due to the approach of harvest time. The pitched battle of Stamford Bridge would have caused great loss both to the huscarls and the fyrd who answered the call. Normally Harold would have had around 3000 huscarls, perhaps Stamford Bridge would have reduced this to 2000. Harold’s brothers Earls Gyrth and Leofwin would have approx. 1000 huscarls each. Perhaps the recalled fyrd that gathered at Hastings would be around 5000. So Harold would field around 9000 men, similar to the numbers William commanded.

The Norman army, despite their Scandinavian heritage had a more continental way of war. Norman society was feudal and at the core of their army were knights. The knights were granted lands with which to support themselves, and were required to serve their lord.  Like the Huscarls they would have long hauberks of mail, conical helmets with nasal guards and kite shields. However these were mounted heavy cavalry; the shock troops of the time, armed with lances, it is thought that William had around 2500 of these mounted warriors in total. As well as the knights the Normans fielded infantry, professional men-at-arms that weren’t landed knights and would probably be armed in similar fashion to the English Fyrd, these would be the bulk of the army, numbering perhaps 4500.  The Normans also had around 1500 dedicated archers using short bows to soften up an enemy prior to sword play.

Norman soldiers - Image from model- making.eu

The army was divided into three; William’s Normans in the centre supported either side by his subject allies, Eustace of Bologne and his Flemish forces on the eastern wing and Count Alain and his Bretons on the western.

The invasion itself was a marvel of medieval logistics. William had to gather around 500-700 ships to carry men, horses, equipment , and even a wooden castle in kit form, over the Channel. Encouraging his underlings and allies to help finance this operation speaks volumes for William’s reputation and powers of persuasion. He had to remind them of the terms of their tenure, but also convince then that such an operation was even feasible. True there was the promise of lands and plunder but due to the efforts of his advisor Bishop Lanfranc, William had managed to get a Gonfanon – a papal banner –  so the enterprise now had the blessing of Rome. This was no mere invasion, this was a crusade.

The invasion fleet had to wait almost a month until the tides and winds were favourable, it’s recorded that William only lost 2 ships during the crossing. Ironically one of these carried the Duke’s soothsayer; never underestimate the fickle finger of fate, or its sense of humour!

The papal Banner - Bayeux Tapestry

Moving hesitantly inland from the landing site at Pevensey, William built a fortification at Hastings. From here his forces raided the surrounding countryside both for supplies, with an eye to his extended supply lines, and also knowing full well the area were part of the Godwinsson lands. William needed a decisive victory as soon as possible. Likewise, Harold, no doubt buoyed by his victory in the north, and angered by the Norman pillaging, wished to grab destiny with both hands.

 Arriving in London on the 6^th October Harold gave himself a week to gather his forces. True Duke William had been campaigning most of his life, but Harold was also a seasoned warrior and very able commander, and he gathered intelligence of the Norman position. On the 11^th October, yet with only half his available forces he advanced across the Weald toward William. On Friday 13^th the English gathered at the edge of the forest between the villages Whatlington and Crowhurst . The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle  lists the assembly point as the “hoary apple tree” . It has been suggested that Harold initially planned a swift forced march at night to launch a surprise attack against the Norman camp the next day, but his scouts would have reported that William knew of his presence and was advancing towards him. Even with the advantage of surprise lost, Harold had chosen an excellent defensive position, below Caldbec Hill. At  9am on 14^th October the battle began at Senlac Ridge, as the Normans organised in the valley Harold’s shield wall took shape across the ridge, their ranks 700 yards long. In the centre Harold unfurled his standards , the wyvern of Wessex and his personal banner of the fighting man.

Map of the battle from historyofengland.typepad.com/

Under William’s papal banner the Normans advanced. The archers got within range and emptied their quivers at the English line. But this volley had little effect. They were shooting uphill so most arrows either were impaled on shields or passed over the English lines. Following this the Norman infantry struggled up the slope. The rise was some 50 feet from the brook in the valley bottom and they were met with a hail of missiles from the English, including spears, throwing axes and even rocks. William threw his knights forward, alarmed at the lack of progress achieved by the first wave.

The Norman first wave attacks the English  shieldwall - weaponsandwarfare.com

It was on the shallow western end of the ridge that the Bretons arrived at the English lines before the Normans and Flemish. It was an uncoordinated effort that met an intact English line. They were met with missiles and were unable to get close to the English without risking their mounts. The Breton wing fell back leaving the Norman left flank exposed to missiles. The Norman and Flemish wings met the same dreadful site of intact English lines after struggling up the slope through hurled spears and rocks. The whole Norman line now waivered, on the verge of a general retreat. William's half brother Bishop Odo desperately tried to rally the fleeing Bretons.

On the western edge of the Ridge the English fyrdmen saw the Bretons in full retreat, from their perspective the whole Norman line looked on the verge of defeat; breaking ranks, they set off down the hill in pursuit. In the centre William saw the unfolding events, he had to act fast to stem the rout. He took his Norman cavalry and attacked the advancing English. How quickly in the fog of battle are the tables turned. The English fyrdmen now found themselves stranded in the open, unable to get back up the hill, and made a last desperate stand on a small hillock near the valley floor. The event is shown in the Bayeaux Tapestry. That they aren’t huscarls is shown by the lack of hauberks. The Bretons rallied and the stranded warriors in the hillock were slaughtered to a man. In the space of an hour and a half, with a momentary lack of discipline, Harold’s advantage and seemingly early victory had been snatched away from him. Harold’s previously impregnable line had to stretch thinner to compensate for his losses. Both sides paused to regroup.

The fyrd trapped on the hillock - Bayeux tapestry

Duke William shows his men he's alive - Bayeux tapestry

With the archers restocked with arrows the Norman second wave began. Learning from the previous failure William urged a slower advance so the infantry and cavalry could support each other. This second attack went on for 2 blood-soaked hours as the attack against the shield wall became a series of smaller battles along its length.  By 1pm the dead would be piled on both sides yet the shield wall held true. Both the Flemish and Bretons were sent back reeling in disarray. Again English Fyrdmen foolishly gave chase to be caught in the open. Norman chroniclers say these were feigned retreats but with the discipline (or lack of) at the time this is highly unlikely. With the low morale of these troops a feigned retreat could easily become a rout. It is said that William himself fought in this second phase and had 3 horses killed under him. he had to show his face when a rumour began among his men that he had been slain.

Again the Normans withdrew and took stock. William must have been becoming increasingly desperate; the English shield wall held and his men would be exhausted. The slopes would be churned up by hooves and slick with blood. He knew his men had one more attack in them. Defeat and retreat would almost certainly cost William his life. The next attack had to succeed. A different tack was required. He had to combine his archers and his knights and foot soldiers more effectively with his whole force attacking the ridge at the same time.

Bishop Odo in action against the shield wall - notice his weapon is a club so as not to sinfully draw blood - from www.robertsewell.ca/

At 3 o’clock The Normans advanced slowly with horse and foot solders together, the archers in the rear.  The Norman advance drew out the usual English volley, but it was impatient and launched at a longer, less effective distance. As the Normans closed with the English the archers fired upwards, high into the air so the arrows would fall on the English line and draw their  shields up. With the shower of arrows causing a distraction the hand to hand combat began. An hour into the third wave and the turning point was being achieved. Gaps began to appear in the English line and the Normans forced themselves in, breaking the shield wall into sections.  With both English flanks now weakened and the whole ridge no longer defensible, William ordered the Flemish and Bretons to attack from both sides. They broke through, shattering the English position that had held solid across the ridge all day.

For Harold now the battle was lost, it was all about now life, death and honour. There was fighting

Harold is slain - Bayeux Tapestry

along the whole ridge. It was at this point that Harold’s brothers Leofwine and Gyrth fell, defending their king and brother judging by their proximity to Harold. The fyrd attempted to escape and melt into the forest but the huscarls, true to their oaths, remained fighting around Harold and his standards. As the light faded around 5.30pm Harold fell, probably not by an arrow to the eye, as interrupted in error from the tapestry, but from a sword blow and then “covered in deadly wounds”, according to William of Jumieges. Fired by the events of the day and their sense of religious righteousness Flemish knights hacked at the fallen king, grievously mutilating him. It was said only Harold's handfast wife, Edith Swanneck, could recognise her lover's body, so terrible were the wounds inflicted on the slain Harold.

The last stand -  from bitaboutbritain.blogspot.co.uk/

With the King and his brothers slain there was nothing more to fight for, a few remaining huscarls fought doggedly to the last while others fled to the forest  pursued by the vengeful Norman cavalry to prevent any regrouping. It might well have been the case that there were still late arrivals of fyrdmen appearing on the battle’s periphery. That some English still had the spirit to fight was shown when a band of Norman knights were ambushed and slaughtered at a place called Malfosse (evil ditch), named as such after the event. Yet despite the valour of the defenders at Malfosse the battle was over, and decisively so; England would never be the same again, of the three contenders for the throne only the Norman Duke William remained.

Harold's bones are lost to history, there would be no shrine to the fallen king. It was said that he was either buried without ceremony on unconsecrated ground (as he was ex communicated), or was perhaps thrown into the sea. Another tale reports him as being buried under a cairn on a headland, as if ironically watching for invaders. William refused the pleading of Harold's mother, Gytha Thorkilsdottir, to yield to her the slain kings remains, even in exchange for Harold's weight in gold. Even in death perhaps, he revealed the precariousness of William's position, that of an invader, a foreign usurper. Yet a new regime would now held sway, and history would be written by them, as victors are wont to do.

Sources;

The Battle of Hastings - Peter Poyntz Wright - (1986)
The Bayeux Tapestry
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
William of Jumieges - Deeds of the Dukes of the Normans
Frank Barlow - The Feudal Kingdom of England 1042-1216 (1988)

Rob Bayliss is a reviewer at The Review and fantasy author. Information on his writing projects can be found at Flint & Steel, Fire & Shadow.

PAULA READS: THE SWAN DAUGHTER by CAROL MCGRATH

Ms. McGrath has kindly agreed to a signed paperback giveaway

See end of post for details of how to enter the giveaway

The Swan Daughter begins in 1075 and starts with the death of Queen Edith, wife of the old Confessor who himself has demised for almost a decade. Her 18-year-old niece Gunnhild, daughter of her brother and his wife Edith Swanneck, has been educated in Wilton Abbey with her aunt since she was a small girl. She has been longing for the day she can leave, but the abbess has other ideas for her and she is to take holy vows. Then her knight in shining armour arrives in the shape of Alan of Richmond, a Breton in the service of the Norman king, William. Alan convinces her that she must elope with him and Gunnhild sees this as a chance to leave the convent life behind.

I enjoyed this book; it is as a lovely romance as any. Ms. McGrath tells a wonderful story of a love triangle that is based on historical fact. McGrath uses her role as a historical novelist to weave a plausible explanation of why Gunnhild marries Alan 'the Black' of Richmond and then later lives with his half brother, Alan 'the Red'. These are the facts that are known to us; however, the circumstances of why are not within our grasp. Nonetheless it is easy to surmise and Ms. McGrath's ability to create an interesting story and her astute research into the period, in particular an investigation into the land holdings of Alan of Richmond and Edith Swannneck, provide us with all the evidence for a believable  story.

Though the framework of the tale is based in fact, most of the story comes from the imagination of the author. Gunnhild's travel to Brittany, her life there as the wife of a Breton count, her jealousy of Alan's mistress and other children, and how she meets and falls in love with the other Alan are  the conjuring of an inquiring mind, and an inquiring mind is a requisite in this era for the sources are scarcer that a teapot in a wine bar.

Gunnhild’s spirit comes to the fore in the beginning of the book; as time moves on, she becomes less a force of nature as she is molded into a more submissive version of herself. The stealing of her aunt’s dress, her refusal to take holy vows, her desire to shape her own destiny and not be forced into a sterile community where her spirit will fade, is what marks her out as different. Instead, she chooses another form of oppression, marriage to Count Alan the Red, who promises to make her a lady fit for the station of her birth.

She lives with the shame of her father’s so-called oath breaking and his ignoble death on the field of war. Her family’s diaspora and the loss of her mother and siblings' love fill her with profound sadness, but her character is such that she will not wallow in misery. She wants to be free, to live the life she was meant to have lived--as an English princess should. One day, she promises herself, she will leave this place (the nunnery) and when Alan reaches out to her, offers her a better, happier future, she clasps it with all her heart.

These were turbulent times--like many periods in the history of England. There had been many uprisings against the new regime: Harold's sons in 1068, Earl Waltheof, Edgar Atheling and the brothers Morcar and Edwin, Malcom Canmore, Eadric the Wild, Hereward (the Wake) 1069/70 and lastly in 1075 the rebellion of the Breton Earls, which saw Waltheof lose his life after unwittingly becoming implicated. It was around this time that William began to consolidate his hold on the kingdom.

For the women and children of this time the trauma of losing their menfolk, their property swept away from them because of the differences in culture and customs, this was a terrible time of displacement. Those women who owned their lands outright rushed into nunneries to avoid being forced to marry Norman knights who were desperately wanting lands. Being shut away from the world was bad enough, but being treated as economic objects of desire must have been frightening. Gunnhild was a woman who had grown up in a world where women's rights were protected. Even a slave woman had laws to punish her defiler. Women were often afforded equal status and some had been referred to as thegns. Obviously as a woman, it was unlikely that they should be expected to take up military services for the king, but by providing a man that could, she was fulfilling her military obligation as a landholding person. Edith Swanneck had many men commended to her; she was a very wealthy woman.

McGrath's characterisation of Gunnhild is well thought out, taking into account her status as a king's daughter, her years living in a convent and the traumatic loss of her family's ability to exist as a cohesive unit. Gunnhild longs to recreate the life she should have had, had that day in October at Hastings not gone the other way. Unfortunately, things do not follow as she would have expected them to after leaving her home in Wilton with the first Alan and travelling to a new life in Brittany; there are challenges that Gunnhild must face and humiliations to endure.

In the beginning, Alan of Richmond proves himself to be a man of principle. His word is his honour. He expects total loyalty and submission from Gunnhild. Gunnhild soon learns the hard way that her feelings, opinions and expectations do not count when Alan wishes to have his way. Gunnhild strives to please him but one day she crosses that proverbial line and there is no going back.

In Normandy and France, women were viewed very much as chattels on the whole but of course there were exceptions to the rule. The theme of this story is that of Tristan and Isolde. A tale of forbidden love that has inspired many tales such as Lancelot and Guinevere and others like the Romeo and Juliet-type love stories that have been told throughout the ages. This was also an era when the wonderful culture of the troubadours was emerging; courtly and unrequited love was the central theme of this ideology. Knights of the troubadour epics were seen in a very different light and unrealistically created images of a man whose core beliefs were those of protecting women, children and the weak and performing honourable deeds. They would go to the ends of the earth for a lady whose love they were unable to harness, just to get the knock back at the end. Ms. McGrath carefully embeds this Tristan and Isolde ideology into the story and when we reach the climax we are somehow enlightened and imbued with its spirit.

This is very much a story told from a woman's point of view; there are no exciting bloody battle scenes, nor is there much political intrigue, no swordfights or beheadings. What we do have though, is a light, heartwarming love story and a tale that evokes that old adage, that love can conquer all. When all that is left is love, what else can  human beings need?

About The Author

Carol McGrath

From a young age Carol's passion was reading historical novels and biography. Now she is writing them. Her debut novel The Handfasted Wife was published by Accent Press in May 2013. The Handfasted Wife is the first novel in a trilogy about the Norman Conquest from the point of view of the royal women. Its subject is Edith Swan-Neck, King Harold’s common-law/handfasted wife. The Swan-Daughter, the second novel in the trilogy will be published in 2014.

 Carol studied for an MA at Queens University Belfast’s Seamus Heaney Centre for Creative Writing. Later she worked on the MPhil in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway, University of London. Life is not all about academic pursuits and writing books. She travesl extensively, enjoys photography and loves spending time with her two children, husband and their home and garden. Moreover, visits to a location here and in Europe that features in her books is the greatest excuse of all to lose oneself in the past.

You can find Carol in these places: 

Website

Facebook Page

Blog/

Twitter

You can buy her books:

Amazon
Amazon.uk 

This review was written by Paula Lofting for The Review. Paula is the author of Sons of the Wolf.

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment here OR on our Facebook page at the link here.

The Best of The Review: Favorite Posts From the First Half Year (Volume VI)

Sworn Sword~~by James Aitcheson

Marsha writes, "I picked Paula's review of Sworn Sword because the review inspired me to purchase the book which I enjoyed immensely. I love the Conquest time frame and was happy to have a new author to explore. I am looking forward to purchasing the rest of the series."

Sworn Sword sweeps us into the 11thc just as the English are on the rise after their devastating defeat at Hastings just over two years before. From the outset we are thrust into a world of where life depends on who wins the battles.  Bloodshed and loss is now a way of life for most people since William of Normandy clawed the English crown from the head of the  usurper’, Harold Godwinson.  

With the opening focusing on an English uprising in the streets of Dunholm, strong hold of Robert de Commines, Lord of the North, we meet our protagonist, Tancred, a Breton, commanding his own conroi. Tancred and his comrades have been trying to fight off the attack when Tancred hears that his beloved Oswynn Is murdered by the marauders; but there is no time to grieve, for he must save his lord, Robert, set upon with his men in the mead hall. Tancred leads his conroi to the rescue but they are too late and Lord Robert is burned alive with his comrades inside the blazing  hall. The Normans are slaughtered almost to a man, but Tancred, who has been badly injured, is carried by his surviving friends Eudo and Wace to the relative safety of York. There the trio find refuge in the house of Robert’s vicomte, Guillaume (William) Malet.

Tancred spends some time under the care of Malet’s priest, Aelfwold who tends his patient’s wounds and saves him from developing a life threatening infection. When he is well, Malet gives the now lordless knight an ultimatum: owe him a debt for the succour and hospitality he had provided him with, or carry out a mission  that would set him free of any obligation owed. Reluctantly, he accepts, for he would rather stay behind in York to exact revenge upon the English who killed his lord and his woman Oswynn. But little did he realise when he gave his oath to Malet, that he would become embroiled in a secret that holds the fate of the kingdom in the balance...

I approached this novel with caution, a) because I am a die-hard Anglo-Saxon supporter and b) because the Normans did terrible things to the English during the invasion, so when I realised this was going to be a story told from the point of view of one of the invaders, I was unsure as to whether or not I was going to enjoy it.  It’s not that I am so narrow minded I can’t enjoy a book from any other viewpoint other than the English one, it is that I didn’t want to read something that promoted the Norman invasion as a good thing and that William was a good guy fighting for his rights, and by the shedding of much English blood, winds up on the English throne. Although Tancred fought on the Conqueror’s side at the Battle of Hastings, he views the English with suspicion and believes that the rightful King now sits on the throne, this is a book that tells the story of one man’s journey to find a new purpose to his life, now that his beloved lord is no longer in the world.

What I liked about James Aitcheson’s portrayal of an England in the aftermath of Hastings, is that it shows the reader how the scene would have looked to just such a man, especially as it is written in the first person, without making it heavily pro-Norman or pro- English. Although the latter are seen as pretty much the bad guys in a way, and the former as the righteous, it’s understandable, because we are seeing it from Tancred’s point of view and as far as he is concerned, he and his comrades are vindicated, for they represent loyal supporters of the rightful King, assisting him in keeping the peace in his new kingdom that was bequeathed to him, quite honourably by his cousin Edward, and stolen from him by the usurper Harold Godwinson. Presented as thus, I found it easy to glide into the story from the start.

  

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Paula's People with Simon Stirling

"I picked Paula's piece with Simon about Shakespeare because it was so interesting and I am fascinated by Simon's ideas. I would really like to delve more into Shakespeare's life and plan on purchasing Simon's book."

*********                                                               

Thanks to Simon for coming along and being a guest on Paula's People. Simon discusses the ideas that spawned his latest novel Who Killed William Shakespeare?  


I was chatting to (chatting up?) a Canadian student at my drama school in London, one day.
“So – got anything planned for this weekend?”              

“Yeah, we’re all going up to Stratford-upon-Avon.  We’re seeing a show at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and we get the Shakespeare tour.”

It was part of the one-year course for overseas students: the Stratford Weekend.  And that’s when it struck me.  To lovers of theatre, and literature, all over the world, Stratford is a kind of Mecca.
And there was me thinking it was a place you went to on a Sunday afternoon.
I’ve spent a great deal of my life in and around Shakespeare’s hometown.  It’s given me a different perspective on the ‘Sweet swan of Avon’.  Time after time, reading biographies of William Shakespeare, I was struck by how little interest the biographer had in Shakespeare’s native region, his family connections, the knotty network of friends and co-religionists which made Warwickshire such a tribal county.
London has changed since Shakespeare’s day.  But much of his home county hasn’t altered that much.  You can get closer to Shakespeare in the lanes around Baddesley Clinton or Earls Common than you ever can on the banks of the Thames.
When I started studying Shakespeare in the late-1980s, hoping to understand how a lad from the Midlands became the world’s greatest poet-playwright, I found it all a frustrating experience.  “We know so little about him!” seemed to be the cry on every Shakespeare scholar’s lips.  Twenty-five years on, I’ve come to believe that this mantra is anything but true.  By refusing to concentrate on his London days, I was able to uncover several new facts about Shakespeare’s life.  A whole new picture emerged – more ‘real’, if you will, and certainly more intriguing.  Downright scary, at times.

But the mythology of Shakespeare forms most of what we know, or think we know, or are told to think we know, about this brilliant man.  To engage properly with Shakespeare is to enter the terrifying world of Tudor and Jacobean politics, something unnervingly close to a police state, and the sheer brutality of the repression of those who adhered to the Catholic faith, as their forefathers had done for a thousand years.  It is to enter a period of great upheaval, a massive redistribution of wealth, the remorseless rise of a new political class and a casual recourse to murderous violence.  It was a time of fear and favour, of propaganda and prejudice.

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PAULA READS: SWORN SWORD By James Aitcheson

Sworn Sword sweeps us into the 11thc just as the English are on the rise after their devastating defeat at Hastings just over two years before. From the outset we are thrust into a world of where life depends on who wins the battles.  Bloodshed and loss is now a way of life for most people since William of Normandy clawed the English crown from the head of the  usurper’, Harold Godwinson.  

The Death of Harold on the BT

With the opening focusing on an English uprising in the streets of Dunholm, strong hold of Robert de Commines, Lord of the North, we meet our protagonist, Tancred, a Breton, commanding his own conroi. Tancred and his comrades have been trying to fight off the attack when Tancred hears that his beloved Oswynn Is murdered by the marauders; but there is no time to grieve, for he must save his lord, Robert, set upon with his men in the mead hall. Tancred leads his conroi to the rescue but they are too late and Lord Robert is burned alive with his comrades inside the blazing  hall. The Normans are slaughtered almost to a man, but Tancred, who has been badly injured, is carried by his surviving friends Eudo and Wace to the relative safety of York. There the trio find refuge in the house of Robert’s vicomte, Guillaume (William) Malet.

The Conroi

Tancred spends some time under the care of Malet’s priest, Aelfwold who tends his patient’s wounds and saves him from developing a life threatening infection. When he is well, Malet gives the now lordless knight an ultimatum: owe him a debt for the succour and hospitality he had provided him with, or carry out a mission  that would set him free of any obligation owed. Reluctantly, he accepts, for he would rather stay behind in York to exact revenge upon the English who killed his lord and his woman Oswynn. But little did he realise when he gave his oath to Malet, that he would become embroiled in a secret that holds the fate of the kingdom in the balance...

I approached this novel with caution, a) because I am a die-hard Anglo-Saxon supporter and b) because the Normans did terrible things to the English during the invasion, so when I realised this was going to be a story told from the point of view of one of the invaders, I was unsure as to whether or not I was going to enjoy it.  It’s not that I am so narrow minded I can’t enjoy a book from any other viewpoint other than the English one, it is that I didn’t want to read something that promoted the Norman invasion as a good thing and that William was a good guy fighting for his rights, and by the shedding of much English blood, winds up on the English throne. Although Tancred fought on the Conqueror’s side at the Battle of Hastings, he views the English with suspicion and believes that the rightful King now sits on the throne, this is a book that tells the story of one man’s journey to find a new purpose to his life, now that his beloved lord is no longer in the world.

What I liked about James Aitcheson’s portrayal of an England in the aftermath of Hastings, is that it shows the reader how the scene would have looked to just such a man, especially as it is written in the first person, without making it heavily pro-Norman or pro- English. Although the latter are seen as pretty much the bad guys in a way, and the former as the righteous, it’s understandable, because we are seeing it from Tancred’s point of view and as far as he is concerned, he and his comrades are vindicated, for they represent loyal supporters of the rightful King, assisting him in keeping the peace in his new kingdom that was bequeathed to him, quite honourably by his cousin Edward, and stolen from him by the usurper Harold Godwinson. Presented as thus, I found it easy to glide into the story from the start.

  

Tancred himself is portrayed as a battle hardened, traumatised character who, having lived through the horrors of Hastings, loses his lord and beloved in that one night at the siege of Dunholm.  Lord Robert had taken him into his service and saved him from a life of poverty and starvation when he was a young run away from the cruel monastery he had been brought up in. Oswynn was the English girl who he had taken as his lover and Tancred, devastated by both losses, swears vengeance on the young, arrogant claimant to the throne, Eadgar Atheling, the perpetrator of their deaths.  The design of vengeance and the need to atone for not preventing their murders embeds itself throughout the book and sets the theme for the sequel, Splintered Kingdom.  

Tancred is a likeable character, although at times morose and stubborn. In swearing an oath to the man who he is indebted to for saving his life, he is set upon a course that will force him to examine his own values  in order to find a new purpose in life after Commines death. He is like a lost soul, searching for his rightful place in the world and along his journey, we meet the beautiful, but changeable Beatrice, who appears to be hiding a tragic past of her own.  Their relationship seems doomed as Beatrice’s impenetrable facade and Tancred’s equal aloofness, makes their liaison a difficult one although they are both inexplicably drawn to each other.

We also meet Aelfwold, the priest who saves Tancred’s life with his healing skills. Aelfwold comes across as a gentle, loyal servant of Malet’s, charged with a secret mission for his lord in which Tancred is forced to become involved. Malet extracts an oath out of Tancred to pay back the debt he owes to him, by accompanying Beatrice and her mother to safety in London when Eadgar’s forces threaten York.  But the mission doesn’t finish there, Tancred must continue to Wilton with Aelfwold who has a message for a mysterious woman about a ‘body’.  Tancred and his friends, Eudo and Wace become suspicious of Aelfwold. Is he the amiable holy man he appears to be, or is there something more sinister lurking beneath his priest’s mantle?

The medieval priest

So, to summarise, Sworn Sword is a great read, an engaging plot, interesting characters and a couple of great battles, one which marks the end of the book and paves the way for Tancred’s next adventure. Mostly this book is very enjoyable and I am looking forward to read the next books in the series. There were a couple of things, however, that raised my eyebrows, but they were only minor: one was the cheek-plates on Eadgar’s helmet and being a re-enactor I know that these Coppergate type of helms were not likely to have been worn in the 11thc but belong to a much earlier time. Also the description of a two storey monastery building with a long corridor and  rooms leading off it sounded more like a Gothic manor than an pre-Norman building. However these are the most negative things I could probably find and certainly do not spoil what is a fantastic debut and story. I highly recommend this book especially to those who are looking for good quality historical fiction about the consequences of the Norman Invasion on England as a whole.

Author James Aitcheson

            ***If you would like to download the first chapter of Sworn Sword, click here***

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This review was written by Paula Lofting
Paula Lofting is the author of Sons of the Wolf a novel also set in 11thc England before the conquest and is told through the eyes of an English warrior Wulfhere. 

If you would like your book reviewed by Paula or one of the Review Team, please see our Submissions Page

Marsha's Review of The Wayward Prince Book One: The Getting of Empire by Austin Hernon

Robert the Wayward Prince Book One: The Getting of Empire by Austin Hernon tells the tale of the not-so-well-known oldest son of William the Conqueror, Robert. This story of Robert begins in 1079, thirteen years after the Battle of Hastings and the Norman takeover of England. Robert, who was about 12 when his father conquered England is now aged 25 and is out and about practicing war games in the borderlands of France. He is there after another disagreement with his father. So begins the pattern of Robert's life. A life full of conflict, love, and adventures.

Robert had a great many conflicts with his father William, many arising from Robert's way of ruling which disappoints and angers his sire. Robert excels at military campaigns and diplomacy which William takes full advantage of as in his dealings with Malcolm of Scotland. When William dies he leaves Normandy to Robert who becomes Duke and England to his second son, William Rufus. Robert and William Rufus get along for the most part but some conflicts do arise as when William Rufus thinks he can rule Normandy better than Robert. William Rufus will also make use of Robert's skill in warfare and diplomacy in certain of his dealings. Thrown into the mix is William the Conqueror's third son, Henry, who is left money but no land when William dies but will scheme for the land denied him. Throw in a great many rebellious Norman lords and Robert had his hands full. The novel covers all the conflicts Robert endured.

Covered in the tale is Robert's loves, such as his first love Morberga and a Welsh Princess Tegwin, the mother of his two sons, Richard and William. Tegwin, a love of long standing, is made to suffer long separations from Robert as he tries to govern Normandy. While the story does contain some graphic language in the love scenes, one can feel for Robert and Tegwin enduring their separations and the mutual love and respect they have for each other.

One adventure highlighted in the book is Robert's journey to meet Matilda of Canossa, Italy, a fascinating lady of history. We see the journey Robert and his mesnie have to endure and the friendship that develops between Robert and Matilda. Further adventures await Robert and the reader as Book Two: Robert Warrior of the Cross will be coming soon.

If you are a reader who likes a long, adventurous story that covers a great span of time then this book is for you. Austin Hernon writes with authenticity of the time period. One can feel they are part of Prince Robert's mesnie as they attack their enemies or as they travel around Normandy, England, and Italy, so vivid are the descriptions.  I greatly enjoyed reading Prince Robert's story and look forward to reading his continuing adventures in the Holy Land coming in Book Two. I leave you with a quote found at the beginning of the book by the author which so profoundly describes Robert and his life.

Be certain good princes, that when you defy convention you should also write your own history- else those whom you did frighten or discomfort will gladly write it for you. Or worse, bury it

Austin Hernon was born in the middle of a world war (1941) in an industrial area of north-east England; not surprisingly he led a mostly military life. He was a recovery mechanic in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. He also specialized in marine recovery, being a Royal Navy trained diving supervisor. He spent time attached to the Royal Engineers, Royal Marines and three years at sea in Combined Operations - and no, that was not the normal life for a soldier; however he is still, mostly, a working model, if a bit ragged around the edges.

When he retired from the army he worked for British Telecom organising logistics support for field engineers, and then for Royal Mail developing support systems for high value goods distribution.

He then retired and got real busy. He wrote an autobiography, but as he was not a celebrity nobody was interested in publishing it. Along the way he came across Robert and he could see that he had been dealt a bum deal, so he thought that he should put it right.

Robert: The Wayward Prince can be found at Amazon.

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