Spotlight on A. M. Linden, author of The Oath (The Druid Chronicles, Book One)

 

When the last of members of a secretive Druid cult are forced to abandon their hidden sanctuary, they send the youngest of their remaining priests in search of Annwr, their chief priestess’s sister, who was abducted by a Saxon war band fifteen years ago. With only a rudimentary grasp of English and the ambiguous guidance of an oracle’s prophecy, Caelym manages to find Annwr living in a hut on the grounds of a Christian convent.

Annwr has spent her years of captivity caring for the timid Aleswina, an orphaned Saxon princess who was consigned to the cloistered convent by her cousin, King Gilberth, after he assumed her father’s throne. Just as Caelym and Annwr are about leave together, Aleswina learns that Gilberth, a tyrant known for his cruelty and vicious temper, means to take her out of the convent and marry her. Terrified, she flees with the two Druids—beginning a heart-pounding adventure that unfolds in ways none of them could have anticipated.

Praise:

“Linden's well-researched tale eloquently brings to life a lesser-known period of transition in Britain. . . . The author has created a strong foundation for her series with well-developed characters whom readers can embrace. . . . [a] layered, gripping historical fiction.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“The story rolls along at a lively pace, rich with details of the times and a wide cast of characters. [The] plotting, shifting points of view of the three engaging protagonists, and evocative writing style make The Oath a pleasure to read. Highly recommended.”

—Historical Novel Review

“Linden uses a fairy tale-like style almost as though this story has been passed down orally over the centuries.”

—Booklist Review

Trigger Warnings:

Sexual assault, child abuse

 

 Buy Links:

  Amazon UK   Amazon US   Amazon CA    Amazon AU   Barnes and Noble   Waterstones

Kobo   Apple Books

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 A. M. Linden

Fun Facts

When I was in my early twenties, I briefly went through a period of writing satirical poetry, including a vaguely haiku-ish verse inspired by a hike I did in the Denali (then Mount McKinley) National Park in Alaska. I’d read a number of conflicting articles about what to do if I encountered a bear, and wrote in my journal:

 What would I do if I met a bear

between here and there?

If it came up behind me with a snap,

I think I’d take a crap.

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Although my professional work has included a considerable amount of writing, the only time I have previously been paid specifically for putting words down on paper was as an undergraduate when I had a student job summarizing research articles about nutritional studies conducted on lab rats.

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During my early research for this series, I came across a reference to the Reformed Druids of North America (RDNA) which included a note that it was founded at Carlton College, a liberal arts college in Minnesota. Since my husband is a Carlton alumnus, I went to him and got the scoop that RNDA was started by students protesting the then compulsory attendance at religious services, and, after that requirement was ended, its founders had expected it to disband. By then, however, the RNDA had acquired aficionados, and RNDA “groves” have persisted in one form or another throughout the United States.

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I own a t-shirt with the slogan “Be careful or you will end up in my novel.”

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 While I stick to the disclaimer, “. . . .Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead (in this work), is entirely coincidental,” all of the series’ characters are built from bits and pieces of people I’ve encountered with the exception of Caelym who just popped up—full of himself, albeit mostly well-meaning—and I don’t have a clue where he came from.

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About the Author

Ann Margaret Linden was born in Seattle, Washington, but grew up on the east coast of the United States before returning to the Pacific Northwest as a young adult. She has undergraduate degrees in anthropology and in nursing and a master’s degree as a nurse practitioner. After working in a variety of acute care and community health settings, she took a position in a program for children with special health care needs where her responsibilities included writing clinical reports, parent educational materials, provider newsletters, grant submissions, and other program-related materials. The Druid Chronicles began as a somewhat whimsical decision to write something for fun and ended up becoming a lengthy journey that involved Linden taking adult education creative writing courses, researching early British history, and traveling to England, Scotland, and Wales. Retired from nursing, she lives with her husband and their cat and dog in the northwest corner of Washington State.

 Social Media Links:

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