The court of Alfred the Great was Christian, deferring to
the Pope in Rome for religious guidance. King Alfred rigorously enforced the
Church’s mandates from fasting during Lent to Almsgiving throughout the year, and
not just at Christmastime.
There was merrymaking and feasting, but it was also a solemn
occasion; prayer and attending Mass was foremost since the holiday celebrates
the birth of Christ.
During the twelve days of Christmas, the Christian community
prayed at daily Mass, attended vigils, and participated in almsgiving, donating
to the poor and the religious communities.
One must not forget the food. Meats included beef, pork,
turkey, and boar. Available vegetables were carrots, onions, parsnips, and
cabbage. Bread warmed on the hearth, and everything was washed down with wine,
mead, and ale. Yes, there was always room for dessert with a variety of tasty
pies or fruit, such as apples, plums, and cherries. And, like today, a great
chef was worth their weight in gold.
Minstrels would play festive tunes, and guests would dance; gift-giving
was also practiced.
Over the centuries, customs have come and gone, but the main
reason for the celebration remains, celebrating the birth of Christ.
The Briton and the Dane series transports the reader to ninth-century
Anglo-Saxon England, a tumultuous period in history when the feared Vikings
ravaged all of Christendom. Click HERE to learn more.
About the Author
Mary Ann Bernal
Mary Ann Bernal
attended Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY, where she received a degree in
Business Administration. Her literary aspirations were ultimately realized when
the first book of The Briton and the Dane novels was published in 2009. In
addition to writing historical fiction, Mary Ann has also authored a collection
of contemporary short stories in the Scribbler Tales series and a science
fiction/fantasy novel entitled Planetary Wars Rise of an Empire. Her recent work
includes Crusader’s Path, a redemption story set against the backdrop of the
First Crusade, and Forgiving Nero, a novel of Ancient Rome.
Since Operation
Desert Storm, Mary Ann has been a passionate supporter of the United States
military, having been involved with letter-writing campaigns and other support
programs. She appeared on The Morning Blend television show hosted by KMTV, the
CBS television affiliate in Omaha, and was interviewed by the Omaha
World-Herald for her volunteer work. She has been a featured author on various
reader blogs and promotional sites.
The Minotaur stirs. Evan is drugged to
forget the gods’ quest.
Evan and his companions are entrapped by
the Amazon Queen Antioche and her warriors. Memories and allegiances are
tested. The Dark Master’s victorious revenge over the gods is almost complete.
The plight of the High Priestess is precarious, her health ailing, and unable
to rescue her brother and fellow Atlanteans.
The last sacred relic, secreted in the lair
of the Minotaur, must be recovered or the Dark Master’s succession plans of a
new god are complete. The mystical lands of Krete, the final stage of Evan’s
journey, are within his grasp. He must succeed so his father, Zeus, fulfills
his promise. Then there is Queen Antioche, and the precious gifts she presents
him.
Will Evan return home, and what will become
of his future?
Minotaur’s Lair is the third and final book in the action-packed Servant of the
Gods historical fiction series. If you enjoy well-researched landscapes,
historic characters, excitement, mythical creatures and unique settings, then
you’ll love Luciana Cavallaro’s heroic odyssey.
• Award-winning author of The Labyrinthine Journey
• Nominated for book awards in the Action/Adventure and
Historical Fiction genres
• Drove her first car at the age of three
Luciana Cavallaro’s alter ego
is a high school teacher where she plugs away educating teenagers the merits of
reading and ancient history. She often looks for a brick wall to bang her head
when faced with disinterested looks from her students. She’s also a historical
fantasy and thriller/suspense author, who creates fast-paced, action-packed
series for her readers.
Born and raised in Western
Australia, residing in Perth, Luciana loves to travel and since getting her
passport at the ripe old age of twenty-four has toured parts of Europe, a
legacy of her Italian heritage. She enjoys being active, going out with
friends, reading and tries to grow her own vegetables. She dreams of travelling
again and visiting the ancient sites that inspired her stories, that is when
she’s not spending time being an unofficial stunt person and knocking herself
out in the process.
Ulf is
like a storm, slowly building up its power, he grows more dangerous with each
passing moment. And like all storms, he will eventually break. When he does, he
will destroy everything in his path.
Ulf is one of a long line of famous Norse warriors. His ancestor Tyr was no
ordinary man, but the Norse God of War. Ulf, however, knows nothing about being
a warrior.
Everything changes when a stranger arrives on Ulf’s small farm in Vikenfjord.
The only family he’s ever known are slaughtered and the one reminder of his
father is stolen -- Ulf’s father’s sword, Ormstunga. Ulf’s destiny is decided.
Are the gods punishing him? All Ulf knows is that he has to avenge his family.
He sets off on an adventure that will take him across oceans, into the eye of
danger, on a quest to reclaim his family’s honour.
The gods are roused. One warrior can answer to them.The Son of
Anger.
I was born in South Africa and lived in a
small town near Johannesburg called Springs. My family moved to England when I
was fourteen years old, which was a bit of a culture shock for my younger brother and me. My passion for history started in England, especially medieval history. I can speak two languages, Afrikaans and English, which is a
result of my family background. My mother is South African, and my father is English.
I’m keen on rugby, watching, not doing, but I enjoy watching other sports as well. I live with my wife and Viking French bulldog, Joey Missing-Tooth.
When did you start writing?
I started writing in 2019. In fact, my wife and I were on
holiday in Montenegro when I wrote the first words of my debut novel. I had
been struggling for a while to find the right words, and the opening scene came to me while we were on holiday. I quickly grabbed my laptop and typed as fast as
I could while enjoying the beach view from our hotel room balcony.
Tell us about Son of Anger.
Son of Anger is about bloody battles, chaotic journeys, and
interfering gods. It is also about Ulf, a young man who lost his family and an important
family heirloom, his father’s famous sword. On his journey to avenge his family
and retrieve the sword, he learns more about his family history and the story of
the sword he coveted his whole life. All Ulf cares about is finding and killing
the man who brutally murdered his family, but he soon learns there is a price
for everything, and that price is especially high when you catch the eye of Odin,
father of the gods of Asgard.
What was your inspiration?
I’d have to say religion played a
huge part in inspiring me to write Son of Anger. I am not religious myself, but
I come from a religious family, and I regularly saw how religion affected the
lives of my family. This made me wonder how the Norse people in the 9th
century viewed their world through the eyes of the gods they followed. The Norse gods
were chaotic, and the sagas of the gods are filled with bizarre stories that
leave you scratching your head. So I was intrigued about how this would affect their
daily lives. Viking history also inspired me and reading novels by Bernard
Cornwell, Giles Kristian, and Matthew Harffy encouraged me to learn more about
the Norse and Danish invaders who played a huge part in the creation of England
and the English language. Writing Son of Anger gave me the opportunity to learn
more about these people and what their lives would have been like.
What do you like to do in your free time when you're not reading
or writing?
I’m quite a lazy person, to be honest, so when I’m not
writing or reading, I tend not to do much. If the weather is nice, my wife and
I will take our dog out for walks. We often go to our local park and just sit
on a bench and enjoy the weather. As mentioned before, I enjoy watching sports,
especially rugby. Being born in South Africa, I follow the Springboks and try
not to miss any of their matches. I also watch the United Rugby Championship
every weekend when it’s on. If the weather is bad and there is no rugby to
watch, then I might play some computer games or watch a film.
And finally, can you tell us some fun
facts about yourself, such as crossed skydiving off your bucket list?
1) I have a BSc in Marine Biology
and Coastal Conservation. Another passion of mine growing up was the natural
world, and I would always be watching documentaries by Steve Irwin and David
Attenborough. I originally wanted to do a degree in Zoology, but unfortunately,
my grades weren’t good enough. Luckily though, I was given the opportunity to do
this degree and enjoyed (mostly, the exams were never fun) every minute of it. Unfortunately,
when I finished my degree, I wasn’t able to find a job in the field, but I’m
still glad I did it.
2) This is a result of fact one. I
am a qualified divemaster. While doing my degree, I decided to learn how to scuba
dive, mainly because most of the people in my course could, and it was all they
talked about. I did my open water course during my first year and loved it so
much that over the years, I just kept doing different courses and eventually
decided to do the dive master course. The plan was to work as a divemaster in
South Africa (I moved back briefly in my early twenties), but by the time I finished
the course, it was winter in South Africa, and I couldn’t get a job. I was also
running out of money, leading to fact three.
3) I worked on cruise ships for
three years. As mentioned before, I was living in South Africa, had no job, and ran out of money. I also really wanted to travel, so I decided to
get a job on cruise ships. That way, I got to see more of the world and earned
money while doing it. I used to work in the duty-free shops and was lucky
enough to work on three great ships, The Independence of the Seas, Queen
Elizabeth, and The Azura. Working on cruise ships was not easy, but it was
definitely the best experience of my life. Not only did I get to see some amazing
places I would never have seen otherwise, but I met some amazing people, including
my wife, along the way.
4) Not really about me, but about
Joey Missing-Tooth. As his name suggests, he has a tooth missing, and we have no
idea where it is. He likely lost it on a raid, but he refuses to tell us.
When Donovan is not
teaching or writing, he can be found reading, watching rugby, or working on DIY
projects. Being born in South Africa, he is a massive Springboks fan and rarely
misses a match.
Florence, 1473. An impossible murder. A
bitter rivalry. A serpent in the ranks.
Florentine investigator Guid’Antonio Vespucci
returns to Florence from a government mission to find his dreams of success shattered.
Life is good—but then a wealthy merchant dies from mushroom poisoning at
Guid’Antonio’s Saint John’s Day table, and Guid’Antonio’s servant is charged
with murder. Convinced of the youth’s innocence and fearful the killer may
strike again, Guid’Antonio launches a private investigation into the merchant’s
death, unaware that at the same time powerful enemies are conspiring to
overthrow the Florentine Republic—and him.A clever, richly evocative tale for lovers of
medieval and renaissance mysteries everywhere, The Hearts of All on Fire
is a timeless story of family relationships coupled with themes of love, loss,
betrayal and, above all, hope in a challenging world.
Alana White's passion for Renaissance Italy has taken her to
Florence for research on the Vespucci and Medici families on numerous
occasions. There along cobbled streets unchanged over the centuries, she
traces their footsteps, listening to their imagined voices, including that of
her protagonist, Guid'Antonio Vespucci and his friends, Sandro Botticelli, Michelangelo,
Lorenzo de' Medici.
Alana's first short story featuring real-life
fifteenth-century lawyer Guid'Antonio Vespucci and his favorite nephew, Amerigo
Vespucci, was a Macavity Award finalist and led to the Guid'Antonio Vespucci
Mystery Series featuring "The Sign of the Weeping Virgin" (Book
I) and "The Hearts of All on Fire" (Book II).
She is a member of the Women's National Book Association and
the Historical Novel Society, among other organizations. She loves
hearing from readers, and you can contact her at her website, www.alanawhite.com.
Count
your nights by stars, not shadows ~ Italian Proverb
Winter
in Renaissance Venice
Mia Caiozzi is determined to discover
her destiny by studying the science of astronomy. But her stepmother Giulia
forbids her to engage in this occupation, fearing it will lead her into danger.
The ideas of Galileo are banned by the Inquisition, so Mia must study in secret.
Giulia's real name is Giulia Tofana,
renowned for her poison Aqua Tofana, and she is in hiding from the Duke de
Verdi's family who are intent on revenge for the death of their brother. Giulia
insists Mia should live quietly out of public view. If not, it could threaten
them all. But Mia doesn't understand this, and rebels against Giulia,
determined to go her own way.
When the two secret lives collide, it
has far-reaching and fatal consequences that will change Mia's life forever.
Set amongst opulent palazzos and
shimmering canals, The Fortune Keeper
is the third novel of adventure and romance based on the life and legend of
Giulia Tofana, the famous poisoner.
'Her
characters are so real they linger in the mind long after the book is back on
the shelf' - Historical Novel Society.
This is the third in a series, but it can
stand alone as it features a new protagonist.
The day
after meeting Brother Mario, Imbroglio arrived early at his bolt-hole – a
second set of lodgings in the German quarter. The snow had stopped, but the
pale winter sun was out and the place stank. It was above the night-soil
collector, who took the human refuse by boat and dumped it at sea, out of the
reach of men’s noses and away from the tidal flow into Venice. Though these
lodgings lacked luxury, and were devilish damp, this place afforded him the
privacy he wanted. On the top floor, with a sturdy door and a good firm mortise
lock.
He had
a semblance of luxury at the Palazzo Dario, but here the stink would certainly
put off all but the brave-hearted. Imbroglio tried not to inhale. With luck and
a following wind he’d be gone by summer. Thank God, he thought, because it
would be unbearable here then. He thrust the shutter open to get some air, but
banged it shut again as the stench increased.
Here,
he was only Antonio Imbroglio, a poor pilgrim visiting San Marco. A crucifix
was displayed prominently on the wall, for the sole benefit of the daily woman
Signora Cicerone.
He
peered out through the striated light of the shuttered window.
A few
muffled-up street urchins were hanging on the corner hoping for work on the
canal. They’d ignored him as he passed, as not rich enough to bother pestering.
He enjoyed the switch of personalities – that one day he could be the count’s
advisor, Signor Moretti, nobleman and Doctor of Law, parading in his fur-lined
cloak, and another day, Antonio Imbroglio, the man who looked like a beggar.
Now to
check the contents of his trunk, a nondescript looking cask covered in scuffed
leather, of the type a poor traveller might use. All the accoutrements of his
assassin’s trade were here. He heaved open the domed lid and brought out the
contents one by one.
Picklocks,
gloves, razor and whetstone, a pistol with a walnut handle, his good duelling
sword.
He
paused. Beneath lay the souvenirs of those he’d killed. Time was, he could draw
out each object – each precious gold watch, each diamond-fobbed seal, each ’broidered
kerchief – and remember the face.
Now
there were so many it was a mere heap of scrim-shaw.
He ran
a thumb softly over the edge of the razor. It would need to be sharpened. He’d
vowed not to use the damn thing here in Venice; it was there only for
emergency. But things had gone wrong, so now he’d have to re-think.
Curse
Count D’Ambrosi. He shouldn’t have taken him on at cards. He should have
realized the best gamblers in Europe were here in Venice at the Ridotto, and the
stakes high. To his humiliation, Count d’Ambrosi had beat him playing Gillet and emptied him out. It looked
bad, especially if he wanted a stake in the observatory – the biggest waste of
money in Venice.
He
began to sharpen the razor, thinking he’d be better off to sharpen his skills
at cards. Meanwhile, thank God for Brother Mario and his pound of gold lira.
This
time would definitely be the last, he swore to himself, because now, thanks to
that measly monk, he was onto something. Tomorrow, he’d find out if Agnese di
Napoli, formerly Agnese de Verdi, could shed any light on the whereabouts of
Giulia Tofana and her Aqua Tofana. The thought of it quickened his pulse.
He
liked to make people talk— before they were consigned to a place where they
would never speak again. And imminent death was a marvellous incentive to
loosen the tongue.
The
rasp of the whetstone grew rhythmic in the quiet of the room.
Deborah Swift
Deborah Swift is a USA TODAY bestselling author who is passionate about
the past. Deborah used to be a costume designer for the BBC before becoming a
writer. Now she lives in an old English school house in a village full of 17th
Century houses near the glorious Lake District. She divides her time between
writing and teaching. After taking a Masters Degree in Creative Writing, she
enjoys mentoring aspiring novelists and has an award-winning historical fiction
blog at her website www.deborahswift.com
Deborah loves to write about how extraordinary events in history have
transformed the lives of ordinary people and how the events of the past can
live on in her books and still resonate today.
Recent books include The Poison Keeper, about the Renaissance
poisoner Giulia Tofana, which was a winner of the Wishing Shelf Readers Award,
and a Coffee Pot Book Club Gold Medal, and The Cipher Room set in WW2
and due for publication by Harper Collins next Spring.
Two men, two dreams, two new towns on the
plains, and a railroad that will determine whether the towns—one black, one
white—live or die.
Will Crump has survived the Civil War, Red
Cloud’s War, and the loss of his love, but the search for peace and belonging
still eludes him. From Colorado, famed Texas Ranger Charlie Goodnight lures
Will to Texas, where he finds new love, but can a Civil War sharpshooter and a
Quaker find a compromise to let their love survive? When Will has a chance to
join in the founding of a new town, he risks everything—his savings, his
family, and his life—but it will all be for nothing if the new railroad passes
them by.
Luther has escaped slavery in Kentucky
through Albinia, Will’s sister, only to find prejudice rearing its ugly head in
Indiana. When the Black Codes are passed, he’s forced to leave and begin a new
odyssey. Where can he and his family go to be truly free? Can they start a town
owned by blacks, run by blacks, with no one to answer to? But their success
will be dependent on the almighty railroad and overcoming bigotry to prove
their town deserves the chance to thrive.
Will’s eldest sister, Julia, and her
husband, Hiram, are watching the demise of their steamboat business and jump
into railroads, but there’s a long black shadow in the form of Jay Gould, the
robber baron who ruthlessly swallows any business he considers competition. Can
Julia fight the rules against women in business, dodge Gould, and hold her
marriage together?
The Founding tells the little-known story
of the Exodusters and Nicodemus, the black town on the plains of Kansas, and
the parallel story of Will’s founding of Lubbock, Texas, against the background
of railroad expansion in America. A family reunited, new love discovered, the
quest for freedom, the rise of two towns. In the end, can they reach Across the
Great Divide? The Founding is the exciting conclusion to the series.
Praise for The Founding:
“Michael
is an excellent storyteller and has done a wonderful job depicting Luther, and
the other black characters in this book. He has done his homework and
depicts many historical facts about Nicodemus in a most enlightening and
creative way. It has been a pleasure working with someone who has made a
concerted effort to get things right.
~ Angela Bates
Nicodemus Descendant/Historian Executive Director The Nicodemus Historical Society and Museum
The Atchison,
Topeka, Santa Fe railroad had as its president at one point one of the most
incompetent Confederate generals - Braxton Bragg
170,000 miles of
railroad tracks were laid in 1860-1900. Some of it was never used. 140,000 miles
of tracks are in use today. Old railroad tracks are recycled as metal T posts
for fencing.
It took one full
year (minus a month for COVID) to research and write The Founding.
I re-visited
Lubbock, Texas in March 2022, spending a few days at the Southwest Collection
at Texas Tech University. They have huge boxes of paper material on the Crumps,
none digitized. It includes such material as the genealogy of all the cows Will
Crump raised, deeds for land, court cases, and - my thrill - papers signed by
Will Crump, his wife Mary, his son Bob, and my own parents and
grandparents.
Nicodemus still
exists, and people still live there - it may not be thriving, but this quiet
little town in western Kansas still has the heartbeat of history. In its
heyday, it produced two famous NFL running backs (the families have requested
me not to identify them), a state auditor, and its own newspaper.
Angela
Bates
(Image used with permission.)
Angela Bates is the driving force behindNicodemus today.
Kansas Historical Foundation
Board of Directors
Elected to board: 1995
Elected to executive committee: 2007
Angela Bates’s ancestors were among the
original settlers of Nicodemus in 1877. She grew up in Pasadena, California,
but her family’s trips to Kansas drew her to relocate to the state. She
received a bachelor’s degree in education from Emporia State University.
Bates has devoted much of her career to
sharing the history of African American migration and the preservation of
history and architecture in Nicodemus. She is a member of the National Parks
Conservation Association and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She
served as president of the Nicodemus Historical Society. She shares her stories
through performances, documentaries, radio, and television.
She received the Kansas Sampler
Foundation’s “We Can” award for her work in historic preservation. She received
the Brown Foundation’s award for excellence in preserving African American
history. She has been honored by the Kansas Humanities Council for outstanding
contributions. The National Trust named her a “Preservation Hero.” She was
named a woman of distinction by the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Committee
of Topeka.
Bates was first elected to the Kansas
Historical Foundation Board of Directors in 1995 where she served until 2016.
Michael Ross
Michael Ross is a lover of history and
great stories.
He’s a retired software engineer turned
author, with three children, and five grandchildren, living in Newton, Kansas
with his wife of 39 years. Michael graduated from Rice University and Portland
State University with degrees in German and software engineering. He was part
of an MBA program at Boston University.
Michael was born in Lubbock, Texas, and
still loves Texas. He’s written short stories and technical articles in the
past, as well as articles for the Texas Historical Society.
Across the Great Divide now has three
novels in the series, "The Clouds of War", and "The
Search", and the conclusion, "The Founding". "The
Clouds of War" was an honorable mention for Coffee Pot Book of the Year in
2019, and an Amazon #1 best seller in three categories, along with making the
Amazon top 100 paid, reviewed in Publisher's Weekly. "The Search" won
Coffee Pot Cover of the Year in 2020, and Coffee Pot Silver Medal for Book of
the Year in 2020, as well as shortlisted for the Chanticleer International Book
Laramie Award.
Meet the Thompsons of Locust Street, an
unconventional family taking Philadelphia high society by storm…
1870 ~ Muireall Thompson has taken her
duties seriously since her parents died on the family’s crossing from Scotland
to America in 1854. As the eldest sibling, their death made her responsible for
her family and left little time for a life of her own. But now her brothers and
sisters are adults; even the youngest is nearly ready to face the world on his
own. What will she do when she is alone, other than care for an elderly aunt
and volunteer at the Sisters of Charity orphanage? Has the chance for a husband
and children of her own passed her by?
Widower Anthony Marcus, formerly a captain
in the Union Army, is a man scraping the bottom of his dignity and hanging on
to his honor by the barest thread. Reduced to doing odd jobs to keep a roof
over his dear daughter Ann’s head, he often leaves her with the Sisters of
Charity while he is out seeking steady work with a decent salary that will
allow him to move from their single-room living quarters.
After an initial meeting that finds
Muireall and Anthony at odds, a tentative friendship forms as they bond over
their mutual affection for Ann. As friendship leads to passion, can a wealthy
spinster and a poor soldier overcome their differences in station to forge a
future together? Just as Muireall finds the courage to reach for her own
happiness, Anthony’s past rises up between them and an old enemy reemerges to
bring the Thompson family down once and for all. Will the divide between them
be insurmountable, or can they put aside pride and doubt for a love worth
fighting for?
Holly
Bush writes historical romance set in the U.S. in the late 1800s, in Victorian
England, and an occasional Women’s Fiction title. Her books are described as
emotional, with heartfelt, sexy romance. She makes her home with her husband in
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Connect
with Holly at www.hollybushbooks.com and on Twitter @hollybushbooks, and on
Facebook at Holly Bush.
