Theophano is a young woman living a peaceful and sheltered life among people who love her. Her father raises her as an equal to his sons and his only ambition for her is to be happy. However, everything will suddenly change when she is forced to move to a distant and inhospitable foreign land where she will have to face insults, challenges, and grave dangers. Will she find the strength to survive, or will she be lost in the darkness of the Middle Ages among people who hate her?
This novel is set in the second half of the tenth century (950-999) and moves between history and myth. It follows a basic historical framework, but most of it is fiction. My inspiration was the life of a great Greek Byzantine woman who became queen of a big Western Empire and managed to influence European civilization like no other. She was the woman that became the Queen of chess.
Meet Maria D. Georgiou
My name is Maria D. Georgiou. Georgiou is the first name of my father, who died when I was young, leaving a gaping hole in my life. Growing up on a farm, I learned to love animals, nature and ordinary people. I have fond memories of my childhood which I consider the basis for a balanced life. My two children are growing up in the city which I always find fascinating, yet complicated. I was lucky because I had good teachers who taught me to love myself and my mistakes. Now, I try to do the same with my own students. I studied education and journalism, but my great love is history. Together with my children and husband I traveled a lot around the world, and this was better than the best university. My motto in life is some words of the ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle: To train the mind without training the heart is worthless.
The sun is rising on the Dark Ages…
“His name is Clovis and he will be the greatest man in all the world!”
So says Saxon visionary, Basina as she foretells the end of the Empire of Rome. But what she does not tell her people is how she also feels a strong connection to this man and is certain, in some way, her destiny will meet his.
Passions flare when King Bisinus of Thuringia comes to Saxony in search of a second wife. Intrigued by Basina’s visions, he ignores the charms of her spoilt half-sister Menia and claims her as his bride. With love for her new husband growing, she eagerly makes the journey to her new land.
Basina’s life as Second Queen of the Thuringii is full of challenges as she copes with the demands of her husband as well as the hostility of his beautiful first queen. When tragedy sends Menia also into Thuringia, the two women unite in their hatred of Basina.
She gains a new friend, when Childeric, the disgraced King of the Salian Franks arrives in the realm, his own land taken from him by a ruthless Roman commander. But as the friendship blossoms into something more, Basina is faced with a choice – remain loyal to her husband or give in to her attraction to the handsome young Frank.
But making a choice is hard when she is unsure if her destiny lies with either of those two men but with Clovis, the mysterious warrior who continues to haunt her dreams…
Meet Anna Chant
Anna Chant grew up in Essex before moving to Yorkshire to study history at the University of Sheffield. In 2015 inspired by her love of history and her Scottish ancestry, Anna started writing her first book. Kenneth’s Queen, the tale of the unknown wife of Kenneth Mac Alpin, was published the following year. Taking inspiration from both history and legend, she particularly enjoys bringing to life the lesser-known people and events of the past. When not writing, Anna enjoys walking the coast and countryside of Devon where she lives with her husband, three sons (if they’re home) and a rather cheeky bearded dragon.
Get your Viking on! The Plains of Althing will immerse you in the lives of long-ago Icelanders, a big, epic saga with an ensemble cast of characters: Kel, on the verge of betraying his brutal employer, and Aldis, the woman he loves–who loathes Kel. You’ll feel the anguish of an enslaved Moroccan father who must make an agonizing decision, and you’ll root for a lonely, fearful widow struggling to find the courage to live. They all, inexorably, are drawn by one man’s arrogance and greed towards an Althing where Kel and Aldis must do battle—and face their deepest fears. The Plains of Althing is the start of a sprawling four-book series that will take you to the edge of the world–and back to a country in mortal chaos. Read on!
Meet Katie Aiken Ritter
Two decades of working in tech ended abruptly by an…encounter?…with Viking entities, who insisted I write a story that flashed in front of my eyes. I knew little about Iceland or the Viking era, but the request felt so compelling I had to accept, and took on the task. Four books later, I feel as if I know them, in all their strengths and weaknesses: humans, just like us, who sometimes found themselves in impossible circumstances—and yet had to struggle forward. I hope their story resonates with you.
A barracks full of beautiful boys. A girl in disguise, living among them.
It’s the 14th century, and the longbow is king. But in the northern European principality of Ardennes, archery isn’t just the nation’s defense. It’s the national obsession.
MEET THE JOURNEYS 12 young Journeyman archers, the best in the country 2 years of public competitions, in which looks count almost as much as ability 6 will win a coveted membership in the Archers’ Guild of St. Sebastian 1 will become the prince’s new Guardsman
MEET MARIEKE 15-year-old Marieke is as obsessed with St. Sebastian’s as everyone else in Ardennes. Only it’s the middle ages, and girls just don’t become elite archers. Except Marieke’s prospects as a girl aren’t promising either, after a well-timed kick from a mule has left her with a face that’s badly scarred and ruined for marriage. But when circumstances force her to leave her old life behind and flee to the guild for refuge, there are only two things Marieke really knows about the place. One is that a mysterious accident ended her own father’s time as a Journey. The other? There are no women allowed inside St. Sebastian’s. Marieke knows disguising herself as a boy and infiltrating the guild means embarking on a dangerous deception. But it may be her only chance to find out the truth about her father’s past and to stop a murderous plot from coming to fruition. When the dashing young Journeyman Tristan takes her under his wing as his squire, she’s got to stay – at least long enough to help him beat out his brutal arch-rival to win the competitions. Keeping her identity a secret will be hard. Living in close quarters with a pack of gorgeous boys? That will be harder still. But the hardest thing of all will be keeping the vow she makes for herself: to see Tristan become the next Guardsman, without ever letting him find out she’s a girl – a girl, who loves him.
Part Robin Hood and part Princess Bride, with a pinch of Mulan and a dash of Cyrano de Bergerac in the mix, TheArchers of St. Sebastian I: Journeys is a humorous action and adventure saga inspired by late medieval/early Renaissance Belgium and packed with romance, wit, and longbow archery. Perfect for adults who love young adult themes,Journeys is an escape into the past that reads more like romantic historical fantasy than pure historical fiction.
Unrequited love? Ugly heroines who stay ugly? Friendship, coming of age, romance, adventure, and plenty of archery competitions? A unique setting inspired by the glorious city of Bruges, with a richly imagined, immersive world set within the walls of a male-only archers’ guild?Journeys: The Archers of Saint Sebastianhas it all, so if you’re looking for a great escape, don your disguise and join Marieke as she enters the forbidden world of Saint Sebastian’s, and prepare to fall in love with the Journeys – that is, the twelve best and most beautiful archers in all of Ardennes, the Journeyman archers of St. Sebastian’s.
Meet Jeanne Roland
Roland hails from Davis, California, where she spent most of her youth lounging at the pool, soaking up the sun, and daydreaming. She had a key ring that read ‘I’m running away to join the circus,’ and her favorite moment of the day was when the local movie theater went dark, and the slogan ‘escape to the movies’ appeared on the screen. As an adult, her passions include all things melodramatic and beautiful — everything from classic movies, British romantic poetry, ancient tragedy and epic, to Italian opera. She is now a professor of Classics in a small midwestern town, where she lives with her Greek husband, her fraternal twins, and a Bernese mountain dog named Franco Corelli.
A Fantasy Romance Series for Adults that is Percy Jackson all grown-up and a mixture of Vikings meets Trueblood!
“Dramatic, Lustful, and fantasy fulfilling.” Tiffany, TiDa Publishing
Known for hunting the supernatural, no mortal man realizes Lord Cedric is one of Sorceress Morrighan’s abominations. After competing in a tournament, he is wed to a Lady of the Court, Angeline. Cedric’s senses begin to overwhelm him and he struggles to decipher his feelings; Are they a creation of his incubine bloodline or truly heartfelt emotions for the girl who has lost it all to him? He finds himself forced to choose between falling in love or continuing his suicidal quest to kill his creator. Epic battles against all manners of beasts and demons fill this story with memorable antagonists such as Morrighan and her two sisters; Romasanta the Father of Werewolves; Succubus Queen Lillith and many more. Find yourself engulfed in lores and history long forgotten from the 12th Century and beyond.
“Intricate, engaging, & well written.” Jen, Behind Closed Doors Book Reviews
“It kidnaps you in a world full of darkness, blood and war and yet you don’t want to leave.” Gluckskind, 3 Degrees of Fiction
“A mix of Arthurian fantasy mixed with demons and witchcraft with a sprinkle of sex and romance.” Lulu, RoadsideReader
“The author weaves a deliciously complex and riveting tale.” Tera S., SuccuWiki
“A healthy dose of romance, battle, a mystery to solve and best of all it was very different from your usual paranormal book.” Ramona Plant, Book Reviewer
“Equal parts character building and action scenes, the intensity does not waver, nor do the love elements distract from the narrative.” Ross Ellison, Book Review & Blogger
