Today, I’m delighted to welcome Craig R Hipkins to the blog with a fascinating post about his new YA historical fiction novel, Clement.
First, I would like to thank you for having me as a guest on your blog. Clement: The Green Ship is the sequel to Clement: Boy Knight of Normandy. However, it stands alone and one does not have to read the first book in order to enjoy the second one. Clement is a 14-year-old boy who is a genius and happens to be a count who seems to always find himself in some sort of trouble. His character first appeared in my novel, Adalbert where he strikes up a friendship with a young servant girl, Dagena. The two youths become fast friends and despite coming from two vastly different economic classes they become devoted to one another.
I have always been a writer who strives to entertain but at the same time keep the flavor of the time period that I am writing about. Most of my work takes place during the 12th century. This is an interesting time period to write about. It was the time when the dark ages were ending and the age of exploration was beginning. I know a lot about this era but I did have to do some research regarding the type of vessel that I was writing about. The Green Ship is a cog. However, I can best describe it as a cog on steroids! One of the characters in the book is the carpenter of the Green Ship. He is a dwarf whose name is Baldwin. He first created a model of the vessel before building the real one. Cog ships of the 12thcentury were not equipped with castles on the bow or stern. Baldwin, however, is a master at his craft. He not only builds castles on the vessel, but also equips the ship with oars, so that it is a sort of hybrid. I guess that it would be considered a cog and a galley all mixed into one! I definitely use a little literary license here but I do believe that it helps set the setting and tone of the story.
I used a few good resources while researching my book. I referred to a lot of maps. A great book that I found useful was New Found Lands by Peter Whitfield. This book is replete with useful maps and information. I also frequently referred to A Short History of Costume & Armour by Kelly and Schwabe. The book was written nearly a century ago, but it is chock full of good information. The Medieval Fortress by Kaufmann and Jurga is also a source that I used. I would be amiss to not mention two books that I read before writing about the kraken that Clement and company encounter off the coast of Greenland in chapters 10 & 11. The first book is called Curious Creatures in Zoology, by John Ashton. This book was written in the late 19th century. It is a fascinating work on cryptozoology. The second book is Monsters of the Sea by Richard Ellis. This book devotes a whole chapter to the kraken. An entertaining read while researching useful information for my book.
Clement’s goal is to find the fabled land of Vinland. He does not quite get there in this second book of the series (we will have to wait until the third installment!) However, he does manage to make it to Greenland. This book is set in the year 1161. At this time in history, Greenland had been settled by the Norse and Danes for almost two centuries but was a place so remote that contact with Europe was rare. In fact, eventually the two largest settlements were abandoned to their isolated fate. It was not until a Danish missionary named Hans Egede set out to rediscover them in 1723 that anything else was known about them. By the time that he arrived, a few centuries had passed and he found little evidence that his ancestors had ever settled there. I had read Egede’s book A Description of Greenland and decided that Clement needed to explore this interesting and beautiful place where the Aurora Borealis frequently visits. Although this book is considered YA, I hope that adults will also enjoy it.
Thank you so much for such a fascinating article. Good luck with the new book and I hope Clement makes it to Vinland soon.
Here’s the blurb:
Normandy. The year 1161. King Henry ll sends the 14-year-old Clement, Count of la Haye on a secret mission. The young count and his friends travel in the wake of the mysterious mariner known as Sir Humphrey Rochford. Their destination? The legendary land of Vinland, known only from the Norse sagas. The journey is full of adventure and intrigue. Clement battles with a tyrannical Irish king and then finds his vessel attacked by a massive monster from the deep. The Green Ship sails to the sparse and barren land of Greenland where more trouble awaits.
This novel is available to read on #KindleUnlimited
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Meet the Author
Craig R. Hipkins grew up in Hubbardston Massachusetts. He is the author of medieval and gothic fiction. His novel, Adalbert is the sequel to Astrolabe written by his late twin brother Jay S. Hipkins (1968-2018)
He is an avid long-distance runner and enjoys astronomy in his spare time.
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MJ Porter 