Last October, I made a rather brilliant discovery in Historical Fiction – I met Avelynn for the very first time! This was also my very first historical involving the Vikings – a group of people of whom have held my curiosity for most of my life, yet for some strange reason I never quite took the time I should have to ‘meet them’ properly – either through historicals or non-fiction accountments of their lives! They were such a fascinating group of adventurers, explorers and of course, have such an anchoured past to turbulence and upheaval across power struggles for land & prosperity.
As you can see from this quote from my review last year, I was quite keen on how they were portrayed by Ms Campbell:
On the Vikings themselves:
Alrik isn’t quite the Viking warrior I was expecting to find, though to be honest anyone outside the precept of who Vikings are known for being outright would have been a pleasant surprise, truly! Alrik leads with his heart but with a mind that is truly rapt for battle. He understands loyalty but his trust in both his men and the cardinals of war is where his confidence lies. He isn’t one to tempt a woman past her own senses nor does he find himself able to do anything that is not proper or honourable. He’s an interesting bloke by half, considering he’s at an impasse in regards to his kin who are seeking wrath more than peace.
In some mannerisms he showed Avelynn at their first meeting, I was reminded of stories I’ve read about the Highlander Scots – both are fiercely proud and grit wit a determined air to battle any sort who try to cause them ill-harm or take back a stronghold they’ve already won.
Avelynn took me by complete surprise – turnt out to be one of my most beloved reads of 2015, and never quite left my mind! I was quite curious what would happen ‘next’ and how the characters within the world of Avelynn would continue to move forward with their lives. It’s compelling drama, but it’s also a brilliantly written arc of Historical Romance set during a difficult time in history where everything is a bit uncertain and strife with war or changes in power. It’s not the easiest of generations to make your mark on the world but there was so much heart and hope stitched inside this HistRom that I truly felt hugged closet to Avelynn herself and the emotional journey she was undertaking!
This is why I am so wicked excited to be a part of the blog team whose announcing the sequel’s arrival & why this #bookbirthday has me so wicked happy to have a sequel to read this Winter! There is a bit more to the story behind how I’m reading “Avelynn: The Edge of Faith” but right now I want to share the information on the book itself, the beautiful cover art & the lovely Excerpt Ms Campbell provided for me to share with my readers! A bit of a tradition – I shared an Excerpt last October for her debut and now again for her sophomore release!
Enjoy reading this wicked glimpse into Avelynn and Alrik!
It’s the year 871. Charges of treason, murder, and witchcraft follow Avelynn into exile as she flees England with Alrik. Arriving in Wales, they find refuge among Alrik’s friends in the Welsh nobility. Cast out by his half-brothers, Alrik seeks to regain his honor and earn favor with the gods. When war threatens, Alrik embraces gold and the opportunity for his crew to become mercenaries, aiding the Southern Welsh kings in their fight against Rhodri the Great.
Desperate to return home, Avelynn seeks to find a way to prove her innocence, but she is pitted against Alrik as their desires for the future clash. With battle looming, Avelynn’s faith in their relationship is further tested through a bitter struggle with Marared, a jealous lover from Alrik’s past. Marared’s threats turn deadly, and Avelynn runs afoul of magic and sorcery, causing her to question her beliefs and role as priestess.
When Avelynn and Alrik are betrayed, Avelynn is captured and Alrik is charged with regicide. The two become separated, a chasm of greed, deceit, and ambition driving them apart. In an act of harrowing faith, Avelynn will stop at nothing to find her way back to Alrik and break them both free from Wales’s bloodthirsty grasp.
AVELYNN: THE EDGE OF FAITH is a stand-alone novel and #2 in the Avelynn series.
Marissa Campbell is a published freelance author, and co-author of the award-winning, spiritual self-help book Life: Living in Fulfillment Every Day.
Her debut historical fiction AVELYNN, was published through St. Martin’s Press, September 2015. She self-published her sophmore release Avelynn: The Edge of Faith. She is a proud member of the Historical Novel Society, Romance Writers of America, Writer’s Community of Durham Region, and local critique group B7.
When she is not writing, she is busy looking after her wonderful children, spending time with her fantastic husband, hanging out with her awesome friends, teaching yoga, dancing, laughing, and having fun!
Acquired Book By:I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours whereupon I am thankful to have been able to host such a diverse breadth of stories, authors and wonderful guest features since I became a hostess! I received a complimentary copy of “Sketching Character” direct from the author Pamela Lynne in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Why I am returning to reading Jane Austen this Autumn & Winter:
I have been wanting to read more Jane Austen since I first launched Jorie Loves A Story (August, 2013) whereupon I finally had a blog in order to participate in #AustenInAugust hosted by Roof Beam Reader. However, in the three short years since that particular August, I have found August to be thwarted with woes or other little unexpected surprises (i.e. extreme lightning storms being one of those lovelies) to where I never could quite pull together all the joys I had in yearning to read more Jane Austen! I had a few close calls – where I read a bit more Austen than I had in the past, but as a whole, I remain faithfully curious about what I shall find in Ms Austen’s novels rather than having become a reader whose devoured her titles each in it’s own turn!
As I am going through a bit of a Renaissance this last quarter of 2016, I decided to pre-plan what I wanted to read as Autumn yields to Winter – settling on two authors of Classical Literature (Charlotte Bronté will be read alongside Austen) I have a fever of excitement about reading post haste! I even sorted out which of Austen’s novels I want to begin to read this December & January – whilst owning to the joy of finding a blog tour in October which highlights an after canon writer – Ms Pamela Lynne, of whom, I nearly did not think I’d find a good fit for me to read, as her approach isn’t always one that I think I’d appreciate reading personally.
I nearly passed on this blog tour – nearly missing this lovely to read – until I happily came across the blog Austeneque Reviews, of whom was blessedly open & honest about what you’d find inside Pamela Lynne’s after canons for Jane Austen! This is the review that gave me the most delight in reading – sensing in that moment, I might have found a novel I’d quite cherish for having ‘met’. Reason being, I have the tendency of being a purist when it comes to after canons, sequels & re-tellings; I don’t mind the odd stroke of loveliness if an author takes their own method of entry into a fairy tale or a classical canon, but I’m quite particular about which of those I’m willing to accept as when it comes to Jane Austen or Sherlock Holmes (for example) I happen to love seeing how the baseline of the story can be fleshed out differently but the characters, setting and ambiance of what was originally created kept in pace with the new version. Ergo, for me personally I wouldn’t want to find anything too steamy or overly romantic in an Austen sequel novel! When I read this one review, I felt Ms Lynne had written a sequel that I’d truly love curling up inside and watching where she took Lizzie & Darcy. To me that’s the best revelation to find ahead of reading one of these – a measure of expectation that simply takes you for a wicked sweet reading!
Beginning a renewal of interest on my behalf to not only continue to seek out after canon literature but to focus directly on the Classics I compiled when I first joined The Classics Club – of which I hope by years end 2017 has a lot of “read” notices rather than an absence of activity, such as it has right now! I love the setting of Austen’s novels and the manner in which she treated social commentary; it will be a delight to re-alight inside those selections I made so long ago during #AustenInAugust whilst continuing forward anew and motivated to finish my readings of her collection works. Sometimes I find, an after canon author has a way of re-inspiring me to pick up the books I’ve left untouched for a bit too long,… here I refer to Luccia Gray of whom has inspired me back inside “Jane Eyre”. I find Bronté and Austen walk hand in hand when it comes to my own personal readerly habits.
Sketching Character Subtitle: A Jane Austen Inspired Novel
What if a tragic event involving a beloved sister shatters Elizabeth Bennet’s confidence in her ability to accurately judge a person’s character? When she leaves Longbourn for Kent, Elizabeth’s heart is full of worry for those she left behind. She carries a secret that would ruin her family if exposed and she must deceive the ones closest to her to conceal the truth.
She unexpectedly encounters Mr. Darcy on her journey and his gentlemanly behavior confuses, yet comforts her. Their daily encounters in the woods surrounding Rosings soothes Elizabeth’s weathered conscience and she soon falls in love. Her doubts, along with the well-placed words of another, threaten to destroy the peace she finds in Darcy’s company and she wonders if she has again failed to correctly sketch his character.
When the truth behind her deception is uncovered, will Darcy shun her as Elizabeth fears, or will his actions prove that he is the very best of men?
From what I can gather, Family Portraits is directly linked to Dearest Friends whereas Sketching Character is separate of both.
Converse via: #HistoricalFiction, #HistFic & #HFVBTBlogTour Available Formats: Paperback and E-Book
About Pamela Lynne
Pamela Lynne grew up in the American South, surrounded by Southern Gothic works by Faulkner, O’Connor and the like. These authors helped shape her evolving mind and continue to influence everything she produces as an adult. It was a Regency-era wit from across the Atlantic, however, who seeped into her being.
She often describes her developing years as “Longbourn, The White Trash Version,” and credits Jane Austen for what little sense she brought away from that time. She has met her share of Willoughbys and Wickhams, Bingleys and Tilneys, and writes about them all.
Pamela currently lives among the rolling hills of Tennessee with her husband of more than a decade, three kids, two cats and one very blond dog. She is still a Marianne hoping to grow into Elinor, or Clairee from Steel Magnolias.
Acquired Book By:I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours whereupon I am thankful to have been able to host such a diverse breadth of stories, authors and wonderful guest features since I became a hostess! I received a complimentary copy of “Dido’s Crown” direct from the author Julie K. Rose in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Dido's Crown
Set in Tunisia and France in 1935, Dido’s Crown is a taut literary-historical adventure influenced by Indiana Jones, The Thin Man, and John le Carré.
Mary Wilson MacPherson has always been adept at putting the past behind her: her father’s death, her sister’s disappearance, and her complicated relationship with childhood friends Tom and Will. But that all changes when, traveling to North Africa on business for her husband, Mary meets a handsome French-Tunisian trader who holds a mysterious package her husband has purchased — a package which has drawn the interest not only of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, but the Nazis as well.
When Tom and Will arrive in Tunisia, Mary suddenly finds herself on a race across the mesmerizing and ever-changing landscapes of the country, to the shores of southern France, and all across the wide blue Mediterranean. Despite her best efforts at distancing herself from her husband’s world, Mary has become embroiled in a mystery that could threaten not only Tunisian and British security in the dangerous political landscape of 1935, but Mary’s beliefs about her past and the security of her own future.
Converse via: #HistoricalFiction, #HistFic & #HFVBTBlogTour Available Formats: Paperback and E-Book
About Julie K. Rose
A member of the Historical Novel Society and former reviewer for the Historical Novels Review, Julie lives in the Bay Area with her husband and rescue cats, and loves reading, following the San Francisco Giants, and enjoying the amazing natural beauty of Northern California.
Her forthcoming historical adventure novel, Dido’s Crown, will be released in September 2016.
Oleanna, short-listed for finalists in the 2011 Faulkner-Wisdom literary competition, is her second novel. The Pilgrim Glass, a finalist in the 2005 Faulkner-Wisdom competition and semi-finalist in the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards, was published in 2010.
Acquired Book By:If your a regular reader or frequent visitor of Jorie Loves A Story, you might have seen my review for my first EPIC Historical novel published by Impress Books (UK) entitled: Almodis: The Peaceweaver! This novel marked my introduction to the historical crafting style of Impress Books authors and the impressive layer of breadth Ms Warr knits inside her historical fiction! I originally crossed paths with the publisher on Twitter in late 2015, whilst finding the novels of Ms Warr, as I quite seriously have a penchant for well-conceived historical stories set during eras of time I am keenly interested in visiting through literature!
I participated in the Cover Reveal on behalf of #Conquest No.1 “Daughter of the Last King” in July, 2016. I received a complimentary ARC copy of “Conquest: Daughter of the Last King” direct from the publisher Impress Books (UK) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Why I was so wicked excited for #Conquest after having read Almodis!
I love going back to the author’s origins, especially to read their debut release as a good foundation to understand their approach to writing their collective works. I was most impressed by the layered realism and intricate attention to detail whilst building a strong level of grounding for the back-story of Almodis as well. Thus, I am thrilled to announce I am a part of the upcoming blog tour for the #Conquest series featuring this novel which sets off the pace for the trilogy!
Warr has constructed such an intricate plot around Almodis, as her fate is mirror to Guinevere in some ways, as neither woman could fully believe they were being deceived at every turn. Almodis had a servant working against her and a second marriage optioned to her to increase her brother’s steed of wealth and power. She was being used and taken by men, without any consideration for how this might affect her psychological well-being or her very spirit as a woman who had always believed in the purpose of her role as a wife and mother. She had a sharpened mind which caught her a few breaks along the way, without which she might not have fared as well as she did. Except to say, it was not without it’s hurdles.
The fact Almodis’s story is living history is a testament to the imagination of Tracey Warr who presented her life in such a fashion as to encourage us to draw closer to her journey towards ruling land, home and her mind with such an intricate understanding for order. I agree with Warr, this is definitely a story that played out well in a historical narrative, as there are such far reaching scenarios to understand what happened between her marriages, the births of her children and how everything knitted together in the end where different children took over the original three regions which were always succumbing to war. She wasn’t just the weaver of peace for her generation but for multi-generations down through her descendants as the works she accomplished whilst she was alive remained a living memory of who she was whilst she dared to entrust herself to live authentically towards the honour she felt she was always bestowed to upheld.
As you can see, I love how Warr is able to write-in the moments of a lost era where we not only can visually conceptionalise that particular part of a living history (as Almodis is Biograhpical Historical Fiction based on the life of a real person) but she etches out the fuller scope of that generations layers of place, time and setting. It’s a fully realised immersion into a hidden corridor of history that is such a pleasure to read as you become wholly absorbed by Warr’s vision and her understanding of her characters’ lives to such a degree, you feel like you’ve lived through their heartaches & the journey it took them to find their own levels of success as they fought against the tides of tradition.
Having been properly introduced to her writing style so wondrously tied to her knack for research, I was beyond elated to be in a position to continue to read her stories, starting with the #Conquest trilogy!
Conquest: Daughter of the Last King Cover Reveal
1093. The three sons of William the Conqueror – Robert Duke of Normandy, William II King of England and Count Henry – fight with each other for control of the Anglo-Norman kingdom created by their father’s conquest.
Meanwhile, Nesta ferch Rhys, the daughter of the last independent Welsh king, is captured during the Norman assault of her lands. Raised with her captors, the powerful Montgommery family, Nesta is educated to be the wife of Arnulf of Montgommery, in spite of her pre-existing betrothal to a Welsh prince.
Who will Nest marry and can the Welsh rebels oust the Normans?
A photo posted by Impress Books (@impress_books) on
About Tracey Warr
Tracey Warr is a writer based in Wales and France, and has published novels and books on contemporary art. She was Senior Lecturer, teaching and researching on art history and theory of the 20th and 21st centuries, at Oxford Brookes University, Bauhaus University and Dartington College of Arts.
Her first novel, Almodis: The Peaceweaver (Impress, 2011), is set in 11th century France and Spain, and was shortlisted for the Impress Prize for New Fiction and the Rome Film Festival Book Initiative and received a Santander Research Award. Her second historical novel, The Viking Hostage (Impress, 2014), is set in 10th century France and Wales.
She received a Literature Wales Writer’s Bursary for work on her new trilogy, Conquest , set in 12th century Wales, England and Normandy. She received an Authors Foundation Award from the Society of Authors for work on a biography of three medieval sisters, entitled Three Female Lords. She is also working on a new historical novel featuring a 12th century female troubadour in Toulouse, and on a future fiction novel set in the debatable territory of a river estuary, between water and land, in the 22nd century.
Her writing on contemporary artists has been published by Phaidon, Merrell, Black Dog, Palgrave, Manchester University Press. Her latest art publication is Remote Performances in Nature and Architecture (Ashgate, 2015). She reviews for Times Higher Education, Historical Novels Review and New Welsh Review.
I have a special surprise for you today! The beautiful Regency I read recently granted me the opportunity to interview the authoress about our mutual love and adoration for the Regency era! This author originally contacted me about her debut novel “The Second Season” and I was so very delighted by the news of it’s publication – as the Regency is one of those eras that I fell in love reading about during my childhood hours where Romance & the era of the Regency seemed to walk hand-in-hand together!
I enjoyed being exposed to the regalia of the upper classes, the hardship of the lower classes and the beautiful courtship of the singletons – not all was glossy or rosy, mind you, but for the most part, it was the ‘allure’ of an era where propriety won over deceit and where marriage was not as a straight of an arrow to pitch forward for your own hand as one might hope! There were so many rules of etiquette young women had to navigate round it’s a miracle there were as many matches as history records!
Imagine my good cheer than, realising that this was going to be one novel I was nearly certain I’d find unputdownable as I had a good vibe by the author via her blog already! I was not disappointed – she wrote an unorthodox Regency – by the standards of the genre and by what I’ve been gathering of the rest of the blog tour – however, this is the true gift she gave us all! Something uniquely different – a new perspective, a new telling of a Rom that you think you understand all the moving parts, but there are things at play that simply need time to be explained.
For me, it not only held my attention but I liked that I had mixed reactions about Lady Hopkins – she wasn’t quite as hard-edged as she appeared but she wasn’t without her angst either! She was a complex woman – built out of her circumstances & the misguidings of a mind troubled by assumptions that she may or may not have fully been in the right to have! This is what makes for good fiction and especially for a dramatic Historical – those cunning human emotions & the tangible way in which life effects all of us!
I truly hope you’ll love settling inside our conversation – pausing to read my reflections afterwards on behalf of the novel and letting me know your thoughts or opinions after both your readings! All thoughts are welcome – including those of you who may have had a different takeaway than I did whilst reading the novel! Grab a cuppa and enjoy!
Enjoy a reading of excerpts from the novel in this book trailer:
When did you first read the collective works of Jane Austen and what did you appreciate about them the most once you had? Was it the era (Regency), the style of the story itself or the way in which she wrote about society and Romance together!?
Chapman responds: I first read all of Jane Austen’s novels when I was 22, though it should have been much sooner. Not only did I miss out by not reading Austen’s works earlier, but I grew up watching Collin Firth as Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, Gwyneth Paltrow in Emma, and Kate Winslet as Marianne in Sense and Sensibility. I should have known better!
Books are almost always better than the movie, and Austen’s books are no different. From the time I started her first novel to the time I finished her last, only a week had gone by. I ate them up and loved every second. I loved the romance and the society, the scenes that Austen brought to life, the realness of the characters, but my favorite was all that Jane Austen had to say about human nature. I found myself chuckling to myself, as in every story I found similarities in her characters to those that I knew in my own life. Read More
Avelynn
Sketching Character
Dido's Crown
Conquest: Daughter of the Last King Cover Reveal
