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Beloved Enemy joined Starquest and Children of the Mist to continue the Destiny Trilogy and I'm thrilled to announce was shortlisted for the R.N.A. RoNA Awards 2017, awarded 2nd Runner up in the RONE Awards 2017 and was the winner in the SF/Fantasy category of the 'Best Banter Contest'.
Sunday 1 September 2024
Black Dogs and Arthur's Seat - Welsh folklore.
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Saturday 24 August 2024
Legacy of the Runes - Review and Highlight
Legacy Of The Runes
A bond that even time cannot break
Storm Berger has never forgiven himself for his younger sister Madison’s disappearance. Suspecting she’s travelled back to the ninth century in the footsteps of other family members, Storm can only make sure she’s safe by going after her. Raised unconventionally as her father’s only child, Freydis has never been content to simply accept her fate. So, when she’s promised in marriage to a tyrant, she’sdetermined to find a way out of the arrangement. Help comes in the form of a mysterious and attractive stranger stranded on her island’s shores: Storm.
The only way Freydis can truly be free is for Storm to marry her himself. But that would mean entwining lives that, until now, have been separated by centuries. . .
Purchase Link–
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Legacy-Runes-spellbinding-conclusion-adored/dp/1472293258/
https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Runes-spellbinding-conclusion-adored/dp/1472293258/
Author Bio–
Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip/dual time and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden–hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a VicePresident and former Chair and of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’Association and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012)and The Gilded Fan (2014) and the RNA Fantasy Romantic Novel of the year 2021 with Echoes of the Runes.LEGACY OF THE RUNES (time travel historical romance published by Headline Review 15thAugust 2024) is her latest novel. Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety).
Social Media Links–
WEBSITE: http://www.christinacourtenay.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/christinacourtenayauthor?fref=ts
X: https://twitter.com/PiaCCourtenay
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ChristinaCourtenayAuthor/
BLUESKY; https://christinacourtenay@bsky.social/
MY REVIEW
I have long been interested in learning about the Viking period and its legends, and really enjoyed Christina's previous books so it's a little sad that this will be the final one. Even if you have not read any of the previous books, you will have no problem reading this as a 'standalone', although I suspect you will end up wanting to read the previous ones as well. As always, the author quickly drew me into the 9th Century and Nordic life in that era, and the developing romance between Storm and Freydis is beautifully written. The research that has obviously gone into this and the previous stories in the series makes the reader feel that they are right there with the main characters, and the novel is beautifully written with the ring of authenticity.
This is a fitting and very satisfying conclusion to the 'Runes' series, and the family reunion in the, Epilogue is the 'icing on the cake.' Highly recommended.
Monday 19 August 2024
Journey to the Dark Galaxy - Spotlight and Giveaway
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
A mysterious signal from deep space. Mischief and murder at a military base.
Earth’s leaders are given an ultimatum: deliver Sam Sanderson to Logom, a planet known to house a hostile AI civilization, or face interplanetary war.
When Sam receives a strange letter drafting her into the Great Alliance for Interplanetary Affairs as a matter of international security, she expects to get answers. But instead of receiving a warm welcome, she finds that most people under the surface are distant, cold, and have built walls of silence. While grappling with her unique power and the consequences of her actions, she learns that the organization she’s supposed to serve has a chilling past and guards a dark secret.
While Earth’s scientists scramble to defend their world and the planetary alliance from the AI threat, Sam is forced on a mission to the Dark Galaxy. A place where dangers lurk, tensions run high, and things are never what they seem.
But will the journey change her forever?
As Sam desperately navigates a maze of lies, dark secrets, and finds herself at the heart of a dangerous journey, she discovers that it will take much more than her courage and power to save humanity.
Time’s running out, and there’s no turning back now…
From the award-winning author of Journey to the Hopewell Star comes the highly anticipated sequel that’s sure to be a thrilling ride!
Read an Excerpt
Hannah D. State is an award-winning Canadian author. She graduated from McGill University with a BA and earned her MPL from Queen’s University. Hannah is bothered by inequality, violence, greed, complacency, snakes, entering a dark room, and not getting enough sleep. She enjoys writing about strong-willed characters who don’t fit the norm and who overcome great obstacles with perseverance, self-discovery, and help from others. Sometimes Hannah can’t keep up with her characters’ ideas and plans, so she takes breaks, drinks coffee, does yoga and tai chi, and takes nature walks to calm her mind and really listen. Journey to the Dark Galaxy is her second novel. You can find her author page on Facebook.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hannahdstate/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20560327.Hannah_D_State
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahdstate/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Dark-Galaxy-Book-ebook/dp/B0CPB1ZM2P/
Read for free on Kindle Unlimited
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Of writers' Block and Welsh myths
Here are just a few tales of hauntings from various parts of the Principality. (Apologies in advance for some of the 'hard to pronounce Welsh names!)
the Short Bridge, Llanidloes |
Llandegla Bridge |
Pont y Glyn |
THE GHOST OF TY FELIN
Now for one which doesn't concern a bridge! An exciseman, overtaken by night, went to a house called Ty Felin, (Yellow House) in the parish of Llanynys, and asked for lodgings. Unfortunately the house was a very small one, containing only two bedrooms, and one of these was haunted; consequently no one dared sleep in it. After a while, however, the stranger induced the master to allow him to sleep in this haunted room. He had not been there long before a ghost entered the room in the shape of a travelling Jew and walked around the room. The exciseman tried to catch him and gave chase, but he lost sight of the Jew in the yard. He had scarcely entered the room, a second time, when he again saw the ghost. He chased him once more and lost sight of him in the same place. The third time he followed the ghost, he made a mark on the yard where the ghost vanished and went to rest, and was not disturbed again.
The next day, the exciseman got up early and went away, but, before long, he returned to Ty Felin accompanied by a policeman, whom he requested to dig in the place where his mark was. This was done and underneath a superficial covering, a deep well was discovered, and in it a corpse.
Under interrogation, the tenant of the house confessed that a travelling Jew, selling jewelry and such items, once lodged with him, and that he had murdered him and cast his body in the well. The ghost had his revenge!
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Monday 12 August 2024
Welsh Legends,- A Castle, A Golden Bowl and a Mouse
A magical mist descended Dyfed, and all animals and people perished, apart from Pryderi, Manawydan, Pryderi's wife, Cigfa, and Rhiannon, Manawydan's new wife who was also Pryderi's mother. They supported themselves by hunting at first, then moved to England where they made a living making saddles shoes and leather shields, the quality of which was so high that the local craftsmen were unable to complete, and threatened to kill them out of jealousy. Eventually they fled back to Dyfed and became hunters again. While hunting a white boar Pryderi and Manawydan came to a mysterious castle. Pryderi, against Manawydan's advice, ventured inside and did not return.
food for themselves.
They sowed three fields of wheat but the each crop in the first two fields disappeared before it could be harvested. Manawydan kept watch over the third field and realised that mice were responsible for the disappearance of the grain. He caught one and prepared a mouse sized gallows, intending to hang it the next day as punishment.
A scholar, a priest and a bishop in turn offered him gifts if he would spare the mouse but he refused. The bishop said he was willing to pay any price he wanted in return for the mouse's life and at length
Manawydan relented and demanded the release of Pryderi and Rhiannon and the lifting of the curse over Dyfed in return for releasing the mouse. The bishop agreed, because the mouse was, in fact, his wife. He revealed that his name was Llwyd, son of Cil Coed, the other mice were actually lords and ladies of the court and that he caused the enchantment on Dyfed in revenge for the insult against his friend Gwawl, whom Pwyll, Pryderi's father had humiliated, by tricking him out of a marriage with Rhiannon.
Coming soon - watch out for details of my new paranormal romance 'The Matchmaker's Mare'
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Monday 5 August 2024
Another Welsh legend - Pwll-y-Wrach, the Witches Pool
In 1852 John Roberts a farm labourer paid an unexpected visit to Pwll-y-Wrach. It was a cold winter's morning and John was setting out to work when he found a youth blocking his path. With a harmless gesture he made to pass the youth but all of a sudden a force propelled him through the air. He landed face down above Pwll-y-Wrach, and the force held him there despite John's best efforts to free himself. He struggled for what seemed a lifetime, but in fact was just a few short minutes, until at the sound of a cock crow he was released. The ellyll, still disguised as a youth, stood astride him and warned. " When the cuckoo sings its first note on Flint Mountain I shall come again to fetch you". John got to his feet and stumbled back home, shaken but otherwise unhurt.
The following May, John Roberts died. He had been repairing a wall at Pen-y-glyn on Flint Mountain when it collapsed and crushed him. A lady who witnessed the accident said a cuckoo had come to land on a nearby tree just as it happened. And as the body of John Roberts was being returned to his home the cuckoo followed, singing from tree to tree all the way to the front door.
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