Boldwood Books – Page 13

My new book, Kings of War, has a number of main characters. Meet Athelstan, the King of the English.

Athelstan is one of the main characters in my new book, Kings of War, a multiple point of view story, recounting affairs in Britain from 925-934. Here’s a post about Athelstan I wrote for the release of King of Kings.

Based on a historical person, my portrayal of him, is of course, fictitious, but there are many details known about him. However, we don’t know for sure who his mother was, it’s believed she might have been called Ecgwynn, and we don’t know, for certain, the name of his sister, but it’s believed she might have been named Edith. What is known is that his father was Edward, the son of King Alfred, and known to us today as Edward the Elder. Athelstan is also rare in that he is one of only two Saxon kings for who a contemporary image is available. (The other is Edgar, who would have been his step-nephew)

Edward the Elder
**Edward the Elder – MS Royal 14 B VI.jpg**
Miniature d’Édouard l’Ancien dans une généalogie royale du XIVe siècle. WikiCommons

It must be supposed that Athelstan was born sometime in the late 890s. And according to a later source, that written by William of Malmesbury in the 1100s (so over two hundred years later), Athelstan was raised at the court of his aunt, Æthelflæd of Mercia. David Dumville has questioned the truth of this, but to many, this has simply become accepted as fact.

‘he [Alfred] arranged for the boy’s education at the court of his daughter, Æthelflæd and Æthelred his son in law, where he was brought up with great care by his aunt and the eminent ealdorman for the throne that seemed to await him.’^[i]

^[i] Mynors, R.A.B. ed and trans, completed by Thomson, R.M. and Winterbottom, M. Gesta Regvm Anglorvm, The History of the English Kings, William of Malmesbury, (Clarendon Press, 1998), p.211 Book II.133

Æthelflæd image
Æthelflæd as depicted in the cartulary of Abingdon Abbey (British Library Cotton MS Claudius B VI, f.14).
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Æthelflæd_as_depicted_in_the_cartulary_of_Abingdon_Abbey.png
AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Why then might this have happened? Edward became king on the death of his father, Alfred, and either remarried at that time, or just before. Edward’s second wife (if indeed, he was actually married to Athelstan’s mother, which again, some doubt), Lady Ælfflæd is believed to have been the daughter of an ealdorman and produced a hefty number of children for Edward. Perhaps then, Athelstan and his unnamed sister, were an unwelcome reminder of the king’s first wife, or perhaps, as has been suggested, Alfred intended for Athelstan to succeed in Mercia after the death of Æthelflæd, and her husband, Æthelred, for that union produced one child, a daughter named Ælfwynn.

There is an acknowledged dearth of information surrounding King Edward the Elder’s rule of Wessex. He’s acknowledged as the king of the Anglo-Saxons. His father had been the king of Wessex. Historians normally use the surviving charters to unpick the political machinations of the Saxon kings, but for Edward, there’s a twenty year gap between the beginning and end of his reign, where almost no known genuine charters have survived. What isn’t known for sure, is how much control, if any, he had in Mercia. Was Mercia subservient to Wessex or was it ruled independently? It’s impossible to tell. And this makes it difficult to determine what Athelstan might have been doing, and also what his father’s intentions were towards him.

Frontispiece of Bede’s *Life of St Cuthbert*, showing King Æthelstan (924–39) presenting a copy of the book to the saint himself. 29.2 x 20cm (11 1/2 x 7 7/8″). Originally from MS 183, f.1v at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. (Wikimedia Commons)

What is known is that following the death of King Edward in 924, Athelstan was acknowledged as the king of Mercia; his stepbrother, Ælfweard was proclaimed king in Wessex. As with all events at this time, it shouldn’t be assumed that just because this is what happened, this is what was always intended.

‘Here King Edward died at Farndon in Mercia; and very soon, 16 days after, his son Ælfweard died at Oxford; and their bodies lie at Winchester. And Athelstan was chosen as king by the Mercians and consecrated at Kingston.’^[i]

^[i] Swanton, M. trans and edit The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, (Orion Publishing Group, 2000), D text p.105

But, if Athelstan was raised in Mercia, it’s highly likely he was a warrior from a young age, helping the Mercians defeat the Viking raiders who still had control of the Danish Five Boroughs of Lincoln, Nottingham, Derby, Nottingham and Leicester.

And the events of 924 are where King of Kings begins, and so I will leave him there. By now, he would have been perhaps thirty years old, give or take a few years. What sort of man was he? What sort of king might he be? Do please read King of Kings to find out. And, if this intrigues you, then do please have a look at Sarah Foot’s wonderful monograph on him, Athelstan, from Yale Publishing.

books2read.com/kingsofwar

Meet Hywel, king of the West Welsh

Meet Constantin, king of the Scots

Meet Lady Eadgifu, queen of the Anglo-Saxons

Meet Ealdred, king of Bamburgh

Meet Owain, king of Strathclyde

Meet Olaf Gothfrithson, king of Dublin

It’s Audiobook Appreciation Month, and here is why I love audiobooks

As with all things kindle and ebooks related, I was not quick to adapt to audiobooks. In fact, I really struggled with them for some time. I was happy to have my books available as audiobooks, but I didn’t really like or understand the allure of it.

Until.

Well, there’s always an until.

I’d listened to a few audios on my daily walks before I hit upon how it really worked for me. They help me sleep. What? I know, it sounds rather counterproductive. So, I don’t listen to many ‘new’ audios, but I love to listen to an audiobook for a book I’ve already read, and then I listen to them at night, comfy in my bed, although some do question my headphones, which are big chunky things, but I can’t wear in-ear ones – I have a funny ear. Actually, I think it’s more to do with my spectacles – so many things trying to make use of my ears at one time. So, with my big chunky headphones, and my phone, I sleep better than I ever have, thanks to my audiobooks.

I know you want to know why. So here goes. My brain is always ‘on the go.’ It’s always thinking. Teasing out plot lines, thinking about stuff going on in my personal life. Thinking, thinking, thinking. It’s a pain. Do you know how hard it is to ‘think’ when you’re listening to an audiobook. You have to REALLY want to not be listening to what you’re being told.

It also helps that I listen to my ‘classics,’ the stories I love. Discworld – they’re all in the process of being rerecorded, and while I was a bit grumpy about this, I’m just grateful that I now have two versions to listen to. Anne McAffrey’s PERN books, and Katherine Kerr’s Deverry books are also up there. These are stories I know well, and I get to enjoy them all over again. And, by setting a timer on my audio, I know I don’t actually miss much when I fall asleep.

Now, not all books work. Some you need to listen to during the day – some narrators are a bit too excitable, but as an alternative way of enjoying my reading, audiobooks are fabulous. Why not give them a try?

Audiobooks are also great for driving, exercising and just chilling out without needing to engage with any other sense than my hearing. Mind – I recommend some noise cancelling headphones as well.

With my author head on, I also love hearing my characters brought to life, hearing them with all the inflexion I imagine in my mind when I’m writing them.

Listen to the fabulous Matt Coles bring King Athelstan of the English to life from King of Kings.

books2read.com/King-of-Kings

King of Kings, and the coronation of England’s first king

Athelstan, widely regarded as the first king of the ‘English’ or the first king of England, is one of the main characters in King of Kings. And indeed, the book opens with Athelstan undergoing his coronation. Before his reign, the ruling House of Wessex hadn’t been proclaimed as England’s kings. King Alfred (879-899), Athelstan’s grandfather, was termed the king of the Angles and Saxons (in a charter from 889 known as S346^[I]). His son, Edward the Elder, was the king of the Anglo-Saxons, and whether this meant Wessex and Mercia combined has been much debated. But Athelstan was king of the English, (and this certainly included Wessex and Mercia, and parts of the Danelaw that had been reclaimed) and in a departure from earlier custom, was consecrated not with a warrior-helm, but instead with a crown.

Debate still rages as to whether the coronation ordo that has survived was written for Athelstan, his father, or even his nephew (Edgar (959-975), and indeed, whether it included provision for the king’s wife to be consecrated beside him, but for King of Kings, I made use of what is known about the service and reimagined the ceremony for my readers. I hope you enjoy it. Read on for a short extract.

‘This means that only a year after my father’s untimely death, the kingdoms of Mercia, those parts of the East Anglian kingdom that my father lately reclaimed, Wessex and Kent, are reunited again under one ruler. The Saxons, or rather, the English, have just one king. And this is my moment of divine glory, when, before the men and women of the Mercian and Wessex witan, I’ll be proclaimed as king over all.

A prayer is intoned by the archbishop of Canterbury, Athelm, appealing to God to endow me with the qualities of the Old Testament kings: Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David and Solomon. As such, I must be faithful, meek, and full of fortitude and humility while also possessing wisdom. I hope I’ll live up to these lofty expectations.

I’m anointed with the holy oil and then given a thick gold ring with a flashing ruby to prove that I accept my role as protector of the one true faith. A finely balanced sword is placed in my hands, the work of a master blacksmith, with which I’m to defend widows and orphans and through which I can restore things left desolated by my foes, and my foes are the Norse.’

^[i] http://www.esawyer.org.uk/,

books2read.com/King-of-Kings

King of Kings is currently available with Prime Reading.

Today I’m delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for a new historical mystery, Covert in Cairo by Kelly Oliver #blogtour #BoldwoodBooks

Here’s the blurb:

Cairo. December 1917.

Following a tip-off from notorious spy Fredrick Fredricks, Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane of British Intelligence find themselves in the hustle and bustle of Egypt. But ancient mummies aren’t the only bodies buried in the tombs of Cairo.

When a young French archeologist is found dead in a tomb in the desert with his head bashed in, and an undercover British agent goes missing, the threat moves closer to home.

As they dig deeper, soon Fiona and Kitty uncover a treasure trove of suspects, including competing excavators, jealous husbands, secret lovers, and belligerent spies! Fiona wonders if the notorious Fredrick Fredricks could be behind the murders? Or is the plot even more sinister?

One thing is clear – If Fiona and Kitty can’t catch the killer, they might end up sharing a sarcophagus with Nefertiti.

With humor as dry as the Arabian desert, and pacing as fast as a spitting camel, Fiona and Kitty are back in another sparkling adventure, this time in WW1 Egypt.

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3iB6WGd

My Review

Covert in Cairo is an enjoyable trip to Cairo in December 1917. Fiona Figg is on a mission to prevent the Suez Canal from being attacked, as she finds a Cairo overrun with British troops, very much a Britain away from home, complete with good tea and marmalade.

As in the previous book, Fiona Figg longs to make a name for herself and finally win free from the confines of being a file clerk at the War Office, but not everything goes her way. Kitty Lane is on hand to add her skills to the investigation, and Clifford, their chaperone, but really, a man with an eye for the ladies and very much embodying all that was wrong in the thinking of an early twentieth-century man, including thinking women were fragile, can add his skills as well, most notably being able to talk to anyone.

What ensues is a tale of murder, antiquities, camels and donkeys, night-time shenanigans, and an all-round good mystery.

An enjoyable jaunt to the Cairo of the past, including several well-known historical personalities, and ensuring that Fiona must continue her pursuit of an errant spy and, as such, win-free from returning to dreary London for the time being.

Check out my review for book 1 in the Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane Mystery books Chaos at Carnegie Hall

Meet the Author

Kelly Oliver is the award-winning, bestselling author of three mysteries series: The Jessica James Mysteries, The Pet Detective Mysteries, and the historical cozies The Fiona Figg Mysteries, set in WW1. She is also the Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University and lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She is bringing new titles in the Fiona Figg series to Boldwood, the first of which, Chaos in Carnegie Hall, will be published in November 2022.

Connect with Kelly

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellyoliverauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kellyoliverbook

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kelly-oliver

Follow the Covert in Cairo blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources

Warrior of Mercia, book 3 in the Eagle of Mercia Chronicles, is currently 99p/99c for a limited time (UK, Canada, Australia)

With the release of Eagle of Mercia, book 4 in the Eagle of Mercia Chronicles, only two weeks away, what better time to snap up book 3, Warrior of Mercia. The ebook is currently reduced to 99p/99c in the UK, Canada and Australia.

Icel is a lone wolf no more…

Oath sworn to Wiglaf, King of Mercia and acknowledged as a member of Ealdorman Ælfstan’s warrior band, Icel
continues to forge his own destiny on the path to becoming the Warrior of Mercia.

With King Ecgberht of Wessex defeated and Londonium back under Mercian control, the Wessex invasion of Mercia is over.

But the Wessex king was never Mercia’s only enemy. An unknown danger lurks in the form of merciless Viking raiders, who set their sights on infiltrating the waterways of the traitorous breakaway kingdom of the East Angles, within touching distance of Mercia’s eastern borders.

Icel must journey to the kingdom of the East Angles and unite against a common enemy to ensure Mercia’s hard-won freedom prevails.

books2read.com/WarriorofMercia

If you’ve already read Warrior of Mercia (thank you), then check out book 4, Eagle of Mercia, released on 3rd May 2023 and available to preorder now.

A mercy mission in the heart of Wessex is beset with deadly, bloody dangers.

Tamworth AD831

Icel’s profile continues to rise. Lord of Budworth and warrior of Mercia, he’s acknowledged by King Wiglaf and his comrades to keep Mercia safe from the ravages of Wessex, the king-slayer of the East Angles, and the Viking raiders.
But, danger looms. Alongside Spring’s arrival comes the almost certain threat of the Viking raiders return.

When Lord Coenwulf of Kingsholm is apprehended by a Viking and held captive on the Isle of Sheppey in Wessex held Kent, Icel is implored by Lady Cynehild to rescue her husband.

To rescue Lord Coenwulf, Icel and his fellow warriors must risk themselves twice over, for not only must they overpower the Viking raiders, they must also counter the threat of Mercia’s ancient enemy, the kingdom of Wessex as they travel through their lands.

Far from home and threatened on all sides, have Icel and his fellow warriors sworn to carry out an impossible duty?

books2read.com/EagleofMercia

Happy publication day to Murder in Florence by TA Williams #cozymystery #NewRelease

Here’s the blurb

A brand-new cozy crime series set in gorgeous Tuscany…It’s murder in paradise!

A glamorous film star…

Life as a private investigator in the suburbs of Florence isn’t always as glamorous as Dan Armstrong imagined it to be, until he is asked to investigate a recent spate of violent attacks on a Hollywood movie set in Florence. The star of the show, movie-star royalty Selena Gardner, fears her life is in imminent danger…

Foul play on set…

As Dan investigates, he discovers secrets and scandals are rife within the cast and crew. But with no actual murder, Dan believes these attacks could simply be warnings to someone…until the first body is found.

A dangerous killer on the loose.

Now Dan and his trusty sidekick Oscar are in a race against time to catch the murderer. But the more Dan uncovers, the more the killer strikes and Dan finds himself caught in the line of fire too! Is this one case Dan and Oscar will regret?

Purchase Link

https://amzn.to/416oD14

My Review

Murder in Florence is the third book in the Armstrong and Oscar series of cosy crime set in Italy, and book 3 is just as enthralling as the first two books in the series.

This time, Dan somehow finds himself forced to wear tights to blend into the film set he works on, where crossbows have been shot at those on set. It is all very perplexing. I loved the use of the movie to enrich the story with historical details of Florence. Always a history buff, it was great to see it put to good use while keeping me entertained.

As with the first two books in the series, there is a twisty plot where Dan gets to venture to many local beauty spots before getting even the sniff at a breakthrough on the case, and of course, none of it would happen without the aid of the always hungry, and always a bit ‘farty’ Oscar the labrador pooch.

A thoroughly entertaining tale.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.

Check out my review for book 1, Murder in Tuscany, and book 2, Murder in Chianti.

Meet the author

T A Williams is the author of over twenty bestselling romances for HQ and Canelo and is now turning his hand to cosy crime, set in his beloved Italy, for Boldwood. The series will introduce us to retired DCI Armstrong and his labrador Oscar and the first book, entitled Murder in Tuscany, will be published in October 2022. Trevor lives in Devon with his Italian wife.

Connect with T A Williams

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrevorWilliamsBooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TAWilliamsBooks

(This post contains an Amazon affiliate link)

Today, I’m excited to share my review for the BRAND NEW book in the Sophie Sayers series, Murder in the Highlands by Debbie Young #blogtour

Here’s the blurb:

Sophie and Hector are heading to the Highlands.

For Sophie it’s a trip home and for Hector it’s time to meet Sophie’s parents… Though their trip has village tongues wagging about a stop at Scotland’s notorious elopement spot, Gretna Green.

No matter what, it’ll make a nice break from the murder and mayhem that has been plaguing their beautiful Cotswolds village. But Sophie and Hector are barely on the road before they’re being hassled by reckless drivers and at their first rest stop a body is discovered.

Then comes a series of ‘accidents’ that leave poor Hector a little worse for wear. Is someone after Hector? Who could even know he was in the Highlands?

Accidents or not, can they find some way to keep Hector safe?

Purchase Link

https://amzn.to/3CmKCa4

My Review

Murder in the Highlands is the latest book in the Sophie Sayers cosy crime series, usually set in a small Cotswold village, but not on this occasion. Sophie and Hector (who isn’t Scottish) are off to Inverness for a well-deserved holiday with her mother and father.

But as ever, dark going-ons and strange occurrences follow them on the long journey north, and Sophie is left feeling that there’s a mystery to solve, but unsure what it can be about, and even worse, that it somehow involves Hector.

I really enjoy this series of books – Sophie is a fun character, if troubled with an overactive imagination – as a writer, and her character is a writer, I’m right there with her. Hector is usually the more grounded of the two, but this time, even he’s starting to worry about what’s happening.

While there is no sighting of the Loch Ness monster, this is a fun mystery firmly rooted in Inverness, which the author has visited extensively, and the mystery is one of the stronger ones in the series that plays out, perhaps, in a more conventional way to earlier books in the series.

A great addition to the cosy crime series, which is going from strength to strength.

Meet the Author

Debbie Young is the much-loved author of the Sophie Sayers and St Brides cosy crime mysteries. She lives in a Cotswold village where she runs the local literary festival, and has worked at Westonbirt School, both of which provide inspiration for her writing. She is bringing both her series to Boldwood in a 13-book contract. They will be publishing several new titles in each series and republishing the backlist, starting in September 2022.

Debbie Young

Connect with Debbie

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDebbieYoung

Twitter https://twitter.com/DebbieYoungBN

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/debbieyoungauthor/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/DebbieYoungNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/debbie-young

Check out my previous reviews for Debbie’s books.

St Brides

Sophie Sayers

Today, I’m taking part in the blog tour for Storm of War by Peter Gibbons #histfic #blogtour

Here’s the blurb:

The fight for a torn kingdom rests in the hands of a few brave men…

990AD.

King Aethelred II, who men will one day call The Unready, rules over a land divided by the shadowy spin of his mother Queen Ælfthryth and the sprawling power of the Church.

The Viking Warlord, Olaf Tryggvason smelling the Kingdoms weakness brings the vicious Jomsvikings to the Saxon coastline ravenous for war and plunder.

Together Lord Byrthnoth, Ealdorman of the East Saxons and Beornoth his Saxon Thegn lead a force of oath sworn Viking killers, every bit as brutal and war-skilled as the Norse invaders to protect the Kingdom against enemies both from within, and from the cruel seas. They are pushed to the very limits of their bravery and endurance in a desperate fight for the very existence of the Saxon Kingdom.

In a riveting story of trachery, betrayal, vengeance and war, can Beornoth defeat his enemies and protect the Kingdom from destruction?

Purchase Link

https://amzn.to/3Cm3MNf

My Review

Storm of War is the second book in the Saxon Warrior Series, which began with Warrior and Protector, set during the early 990s in Saxon England. Æthelred II is the king of the English, but the Viking raiders, quiet throughout the reign of his father, known as Edgar the Peaceable, have begun to turn their eyes once more to the riches that England has to offer.

Beornoth is a thegn once more, connected to Ealdorman Byrhtnoth, a man who has long-supported the claim of others than the current king to rule England, firstly, Eadwig, the uncle of Æthelred II, to whom he owed his elevation to the ealdordom, and also, Edward the Martyr, Æthelred’s stepbrother. Often brought into conflict with the queen, Lady Elfrida, or Ælfthryth, as she is called in the book, Byrhtnoth is not the easiest of allies for the king and his mother, and Beornoth, a warrior like the ealdorman, is needed for his warrior-prowess but perhaps distrusted for the very same reason.

The book opens with a battle at Watchet in which we encounter the Viking raider, Olaf Tryggvason, for the first time, soon to be a bane to England, and while Beornoth and his quick thinking, alongside Ealdorman Byrhtnoth, are victorious on that occasion, there is a fear that Olaf will attack once more.

Yet, Beornoth and his allies soon find themselves heading north to counter a problem amongst the ruling elite of the northern parts of the kingdom, on the commands of the king’s mother, if perhaps not the king.

We begin to encounter more of the men who will one day be famously remembered in the Battle of Malden poem as the story continues, Ælfwine perhaps of most relevance to me (as he might, or might not, have been the father of Ealdorman Leofwine of the Twice). Beornoth is still an angry man, eager to kill the enemy who destroyed his family but he is involved in a dangerous game with enemies surrounding him while he fears that Olaf will attack once more.

A tale of Saxon England on the cusp of the Second Viking Age sure to thrill fans of the era.

Meet the Author

Peter Gibbons is a financial advisor and author of the highly acclaimed Viking Blood and Blade trilogy. He comes to Boldwood with his new Saxon Warrior series, set around the 900 AD Viking invasion during the reign of King Athelred the Unready. The first title of the new series, Warrior and Protector, will be published in October 2022. He originates from Liverpool and now lives with his family in County Kildare.

Connect with Peter

Facebook: Peter Gibbons Author – Home | Facebook

Twitter: Peter Gibbons Author (@AuthorGibbons) / Twitter

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/PeterGibbonsNews

Instagram: Peter Gibbons Author (@petermgibbons) • Instagram photos and videos

Bookbub profile: Peter Gibbons Books – BookBub

Follow the Warrior and Protector blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources

Happy Book Birthday to Son of Mercia, which turns 1 today. Enter the competition to win a set of signed copies of the first 3 books in the series.

Happy book birthday to the wonderful Son of Mercia, the first book telling the story of young Icel in early ninth-century Mercia (fans of The Last King will have met Icel before, but it’s not necessary to enjoy Son of Mercia).

The series is now a massive four books long, and I’m busy working on book 5, which doesn’t have a title just yet (or does it?)

I thought today would be a great day to shine a light on all four books, and don’t worry if you’ve not read book 4 yet, Eagle of Mercia is releasing in May 2023. So here goes.

Tamworth, Mercia AD825.

The once-mighty kingdom of Mercia is in perilous danger.

Their King, Beornwulf lies dead and years of bitter in-fighting between the nobles, and cross border wars have left Mercia exposed to her enemies.

King Ecgberht of Wessex senses now is the time for his warriors to strike and exact his long-awaited bloody revenge on Mercia.

King Wiglaf, has claimed his right to rule Mercia, but can he unite a disparate Kingdom against the might of Wessex who are braying for blood and land?

Can King Wiglaf keep the dragons at bay or is Mercia doomed to disappear beneath the wings of the Wessex wyvern?

Can anyone save Mercia from destruction?

books2read.com/u/3R6x7x

Icel is becoming a warrior of Mercia, but King Ecgberht of Wessex still holds the Mercian settlement of Londonia and its valuable mint.

King Wiglaf of Mercia is determined that the last bulwark be reclaimed from his sworn enemy to complete his rehabilitation as Mercia’s rightful ruler.

In the heart of the shield wall, Icel suddenly finds himself on the wrong side of the battle and thrust into the retreating enemy stronghold where he must take on the pretence of a Wessex warrior to survive and exact a cunning plan to bring down the Wessex force cowering behind the ancient walls.

His allegiances are tested and the temptation to make new allies is overwhelming but Icel must succeed if he’s ever to see Tamworth again and bring about King Wiglaf’s victory, or will he be forced to join the enemy?

books2read.com/Wolf-of-Mercia

Icel is a lone wolf no more…

Oath sworn to Wiglaf, King of Mercia and acknowledged as a member of Ealdorman Ælfstan’s warrior band, Icel
continues to forge his own destiny on the path to becoming the Warrior of Mercia.

With King Ecgberht of Wessex defeated and Londonium back under Mercian control, the Wessex invasion of Mercia is over.

Icel must journey to the kingdom of the East Angles and unite against a common enemy to ensure Mercia’s hard-won freedom prevails.

books2read.com/WarriorofMercia

A mercy mission in the heart of Wessex is beset with deadly, bloody dangers.

Tamworth AD831

When Lord Coenwulf of Kingsholm is apprehended by a Viking and held captive on the Isle of Sheppey in Wessex held Kent, Icel is implored by Lady Cynehild to rescue her husband.

Far from home and threatened on all sides, have Icel and his fellow warriors sworn to carry out an impossible duty

books2read.com/EagleofMercia

Set in the troubled years at the end of the Mercian supremacy, with the advent of the true First Viking Age just around the corner, The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles allow me to explore the kingdoms of Saxon England at the time, while ensuring my focus remains on Mercia, the kingdom in the’Midlands’ of England, with which I’m quite obsessed.

And choosing to write about a very strong character from my The Last King series, also allows me to play with my readers expectations. Icel is a fabulous creation, and one I’m incredibly proud of and pleased that my readers love so much.

Yes, these are bloody and brutal tales, but at the heart of them is a ‘coming of age’ story as young Icel learns about himself, as well as the truth of his heritage and birth.

If you’ve not yet tried The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles, then now is the perfect opportunity. Enjoy.

To win a set of the first three books in paperback – signed and dedicated as you would like, please sign up for my newsletter, or my newsletter with Boldwood Books. (Competition ends on 24th Feb). I send a monthly email. I will contact the winner and arrange postage – I will post worldwide. If you are signed up for both already, then drop me a quick email, and I will enter you into the competition. Good luck.

King of Kings, the audio is now available, and the large print version too

I’m aware that there’s been a bit of a delay in getting everything shipshape over on Amazon, but everything is now where it should be – the ebook, paperback, audio, and hardback, all linked together. Whoo hoo. You can find them with the link below, which also includes other retailers, with links to the large print version.

books2read.com/King-of-Kings

So, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share a few things with you that have happened since release.

As I can’t upload the video here, I’ve done my ‘unboxing’ video and popped it over on TikTok – which I’m trying to learn. You can find it here. The paperback looks amazing:) It’s very smart and the family tree and map are also included. If you’re on TikTok give me a follow, as I’m looking for more content to help me get to grips with it.

I’m also going to share a link for the audiobook, read by the fabulous Matt Coles, which you can also find here, on my website, not my blog. (I can’t upload videos to my blog – who knew).

And, if you missed my blog post yesterday on Historia, you can read it here. It’s an introduction, quite a swift one, into what was happening in the Saxon kingdoms just before the events of King of Kings. And, it’s got some amazing images to go with it. I’m always in awe of someone who knows how all the rules work regarding sharing images on the web. Thank you. (I’ve just been trying to work some of this out for myself, with British Library images – it made my head hurt).