Yesterday I shared my thoughts on what I was going to write for our writing group, and last night – with the pub quiz sandwiched in the middle, I wrote most of my piece. I finished it and polished it up early this morning. The topic/subject was ‘location’ and I wrote about an unnamed person ringing the police for help – they are trapped somewhere flooded and have no clue where they are, how they had got there, or even who they are. I wrote it as a dialogue which is very unusual for me. I did think about asking one of the others in the group to read the parts spoken by the call handler, but in the end I read the whole thing myself. I was pleased that my friends gave a positive response and now I don’t know whether to extend it, or leave it as it is.
As ever the others had all written excellent and interesting stories in a real variety of genres – a sci-fi story of a rather terrifying future for humankind, a spooky story of a visit to a cave, a road to nowhere, and others – each one fulfilled the brief in very different ways. As well as listening to each other’s work, because several of the group were unable to join us, there was more time to chat and talk and catch up with news and projects.
I was sitting next to Simon Phelps who has published two novels set in 1053, ‘Noman’s Son’, and ‘Blood on the Water‘. They follow the fortunes of a young warrior, orphaned in a horrific attack, captured, enslaved and eventually freed to fight in the wars following the return of Harold Godwinson. Gripping stuff!! I was surprised and delighted when Simon handed me a copy of his third book in the series, ‘Death in the Borderland’
In the winter of 1055, Hereford, a once proud English city, is in the hands of Gruffud ap Llewellyn, the first King of all Wales. Its Minster has been burned down and its priests brutally murdered. Treasure and slaves have been taken into Wales. As the shock waves of these humiliating events reverberate through England, the only question being asked is how all King Edward and his mighty Earls respond?
Our young survivor, Sar, already entangled in the violent turmoil, continues to play his part as the next stage of the conflict along the contested borderlands between the English and Welsh peoples continues, Once again, he encounters old friends and, makes new enemies.
Simon’s books are not only gripping and exciting, they tell the story of the time England’s history changed forever nearly a thousand years ago.
Here’s a link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CBS59MJK
My featured image is of a warrior, although not of the right era but of Lief Erikson who died twenty-five or so years before Simon’s exciting stories take place.
Lois Elsden 