tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32839322204559505822024-03-18T03:19:35.211-07:00Genre Author: writings and musings by A.J. WalkerA.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-58645886324752609652015-02-22T13:00:00.000-08:002015-02-22T13:00:02.104-08:00Murder at McMurdo, my Antarctic mystery novel, is out now!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXnrBYjzUeTExbaajW89-kiYeMXx9xTpml0ZeRzzSiFRFunHwxq620qRF2zUtZyfaKquH4YZMfxXwzchFzs1P6iBoGeeDpVEOuWKSkt76WvJhAPijF_scsBYbv-DR7ccF7XL_EvPXiNU/s1600/McMurdosmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXnrBYjzUeTExbaajW89-kiYeMXx9xTpml0ZeRzzSiFRFunHwxq620qRF2zUtZyfaKquH4YZMfxXwzchFzs1P6iBoGeeDpVEOuWKSkt76WvJhAPijF_scsBYbv-DR7ccF7XL_EvPXiNU/s1600/McMurdosmall.jpg" /></a></div>
Hello again! <br />
I just released my latest book after a long hiatus. It's a bit of a departure from my usual fantasy novels. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Murder-at-McMurdo-J-Walker-ebook/dp/B00TWDOX04/ref=la_B00777OYWY_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424627849&sr=1-6"><i>Murder at McMurdo</i></a> is a mystery set at the McMurdo Research Station in Antarctica. It's on Kindle Select so if you're a member, you can read it for free. Otherwise it's only $2.99. Below is the blurb.<br />
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<i>Mark Collins came to McMurdo Antarctic Research Station to study ice cores, cut down on drinking, and patch up his marriage.</i><br />
<i>He’s failed. His equipment arrives broken and he’s having an affair with Svetlana, a co-worker who drinks as much as he does. When Mark and Svetlana witness a murder and the wrong man gets blamed, they must solve the crime for themselves or be forced to reveal their affair in order to prove the man’s innocence. The only clue is an Alcoholics Anonymous token. Mark must infiltrate the station’s AA group, where he faces not only danger from the murderer, but some hard truths about his own addictions. </i><br />
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(So yeah, a 12 step cozy mystery in Antarctica, I'd say that's a departure for me!)<br />
<br />A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com62tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-7514620595927865172014-10-02T07:03:00.001-07:002014-10-02T07:05:11.950-07:00My fantasy novel Roots Run Deep is on sale!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMRNQvqy9-78st__to8VgpVAWy4Hh4QjeqfMHEbo2Oo7m26dbayt6s1xhgyVHpQKFKwdQdhdD21WEgL8SCZxAYn6sEtCKoOGt0Dw78gLMSA5YMpAFEGyt9xz0ybp6H_31nQ-frzcs62o/s1600/RootsRunDeep-510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMRNQvqy9-78st__to8VgpVAWy4Hh4QjeqfMHEbo2Oo7m26dbayt6s1xhgyVHpQKFKwdQdhdD21WEgL8SCZxAYn6sEtCKoOGt0Dw78gLMSA5YMpAFEGyt9xz0ybp6H_31nQ-frzcs62o/s1600/RootsRunDeep-510.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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From now through October 8, my fantasy novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Roots-Run-Deep-J-Walker-ebook/dp/B004LLIFPQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412258131&sr=8-1&keywords=roots+run+deep+walker"><i>Roots Run Deep</i></a> is on sale for only $2.99!<br />
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This novel came out back in 2011 and got some good reviews, but old novels sometimes sink into obscurity, so my publisher Double Dragon has decided to put it on sale to breathe some life into it. Here's the blurb:<br />
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<i>She fought her way up from a shanty town to a palace in order to change the world, but her hardest challenge was to change herself.</i><br />
<i>When a small-time goblin gambler falls in love with a deposed human king, the least of her worries is his vengeful usurper. Kip Itxaron has to follow religious visions despite having lost her faith, unite her squabbling people, find the fabled Lost Tribe of Goblinkin, overcome her fear of battle, and somehow be a leader to a people who have never had one.</i><br />
<i>But that’s nothing compared with loving someone who reminds her of every man she’s ever hated. Human men can barely be called male. Pasty skin, weak bodies. . .they don’t even have tusks! Not to mention that when he was in power he treated her people just as badly as the rest of them. Kip can see he’s changed, but has he changed enough? Can she change enough?</i><br />
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While this is a standalone novel, I have continued the story of this world with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Maze-Mist-A-J-Walker-ebook/dp/B00FLXJ8FE/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=15W17DAP1579FVMH1WYY"><i>The Maze of Mist</i></a>, which is permanently priced at $3.99.A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-56232063004931636012013-11-25T04:12:00.001-08:002013-11-25T04:13:37.425-08:00Medieval Mondays: Christian Viking Runestone Uncovered in Medievalist's Yard <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsjusS0QIDZ4gJ2R5CjroFguwUr4On-opc9HPVByhvDBfTuwE7wUJQ5Pqns2hPsRYIKmC0uAA_csMS9toR5m_HZ2vK_TVi1zmGQIXN9TczL406W3euWZKBHYUst9XRBkStwCbiLXq-58/s1600/Op.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsjusS0QIDZ4gJ2R5CjroFguwUr4On-opc9HPVByhvDBfTuwE7wUJQ5Pqns2hPsRYIKmC0uAA_csMS9toR5m_HZ2vK_TVi1zmGQIXN9TczL406W3euWZKBHYUst9XRBkStwCbiLXq-58/s1600/Op.jpg" /></a></div>
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It's every medievalist's dream come true--to find a rare artifact from the Middle Ages in their own back yard.<br />
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That recently happened to Dr. Sarah Jane Gibbon, a specialist in early church history, when her father found this fragment of a runestone on her farm.<br />
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It helps, of course, that she lives in the Orkney Islands, one of the richest areas for archaeological finds in the United Kingdom, and that's saying a lot. These rugged islands off the north coast of Scotland were home to an advanced Neolithic culture that made some amazing tombs and stone circles. Much later in the Middle Ages, it was home to a colony of <a href="http://genreauthor.blogspot.com.es/search/label/Vikings">Vikings</a>.<br />
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What's interesting about this runestone is that it's using Viking runes to express Latin words, in this case, “who art in heaven hallowed”, part of the Lord's Prayer. Thus this runestone dates to after the Vikings had converted to Christianity. No similar inscription has ever been uncovered in the Orkneys or the Shetland Islands further north.<br />
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I bet Dr. Gibbon and her dad will be looking down a lot more as they walk around the property. <br />
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<i>Image courtesy <a href="http://www.orkneyjar.com/archaeology/2013/10/10/viking-runestone-found-on-medieval-scholars-farmland/">The Orcadian</a>.</i>A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-26537309981335761942013-10-14T03:42:00.003-07:002013-10-14T03:42:45.869-07:00Medieval Mondays: Archaeologists Discover Anglo-Saxon Cross<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8ZORvTW3_NPaXQ4ilOz-ZdppmS2E_ihMA3UmsaIovE6lZNUR4iVWO-CM7J4ysXvgQkXb3QdNixzh0pS6usFXfW0HL6JAvTL4BUyWWGTRD8bFKpADYd0Q47_q6ZjDFxzYFsQRrzoDG0E/s1600/450px-The_7th_C_Bewcastle_Cross_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1833413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8ZORvTW3_NPaXQ4ilOz-ZdppmS2E_ihMA3UmsaIovE6lZNUR4iVWO-CM7J4ysXvgQkXb3QdNixzh0pS6usFXfW0HL6JAvTL4BUyWWGTRD8bFKpADYd0Q47_q6ZjDFxzYFsQRrzoDG0E/s1600/450px-The_7th_C_Bewcastle_Cross_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1833413.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West Face, showing Christ trampling on the beasts and St. John as a falconer.</td></tr>
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Last month archaeologists in Weardale, County Durham in northern England, discovered a portion of an <a href="http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/local/southdurham/crook/10698279.Archaeologists_unearth_section_of_an_Anglo_Saxon_cross_in_Weardale/">Anglo-Saxon cross</a> dating to the 8th century. This isn't a picture of it. This is the Bewcastle Cross, which dates to the same century or a bit earlier. The archaeologists in Weardale found only a worn fragment. Hit the link above to see a picture of this intriguing lump and read about the discovery.<br />
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While the Weardale cross is in a lab getting photographed, drawn, and studied, you can actually visit the Bewcastle Cross. It's located at St Cuthbert's church in Bewcastle, Cumbria, northern England. As you can see it's lost its crossbar, either through weathering or during the English Civil War when various hardcore Christian factions destroyed anything that smacked of "Popism".<br />
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One side is covered with figures and an inscription in Runic that reads, "This slender pillar Hwætred, Wæthgar, and Alwfwold set up in memory of Alefrid, a king and son of Oswy. Pray for them, their sins, their souls." Another Runic inscription reads, "In the first year (of the reign) of Egfrid, king of this kingdom [Northumbria]."<br />
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The other sides have elaborate designs and the earliest sundial in England. Jump the cut to see a picture. This cross, along with the Ruthwell Cross, are considered the two finest Anglo-Saxon crosses in existence.<br />
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Photos courtesy Tom Quinn (top) and Doug Sim (bottom).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8rmS5i1YZ5UZnI-z9fyaMANVX7M3b4GwG3hC6a9maPGFw1q4M9RRXcwSgh8SFECMEq_uZNtBcunr-0llTOssh_HwrqRHu3E5Kswjl0hokaAYpaMKvtQztTJnTkVXFsdVpSCP6mrTvC8/s1600/450px-Bewcastle_cross_-_south_and_east_faces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8rmS5i1YZ5UZnI-z9fyaMANVX7M3b4GwG3hC6a9maPGFw1q4M9RRXcwSgh8SFECMEq_uZNtBcunr-0llTOssh_HwrqRHu3E5Kswjl0hokaAYpaMKvtQztTJnTkVXFsdVpSCP6mrTvC8/s1600/450px-Bewcastle_cross_-_south_and_east_faces.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South and east faces of the cross.</td></tr>
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<br />A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-64214551803277192332013-10-09T01:20:00.000-07:002013-10-09T01:21:49.697-07:00Norse Gods Blogfest: Naglfar, the Ship made from Dead Men's Nails<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxxl4_bL_GlgzHnvpBZea2GetRQ8iw9y3i7kxJlqWdL_bRyxt1oGhfHW9LpglIMEvMYbfaHXNT2OJn7sxb1Y5T81Qv26cH5AYUdFOg_d64ZUMQAMPAeLykFUw9xTLZfdTzF1TX75SqHc/s1600/blogfest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxxl4_bL_GlgzHnvpBZea2GetRQ8iw9y3i7kxJlqWdL_bRyxt1oGhfHW9LpglIMEvMYbfaHXNT2OJn7sxb1Y5T81Qv26cH5AYUdFOg_d64ZUMQAMPAeLykFUw9xTLZfdTzF1TX75SqHc/s1600/blogfest.jpg" /></a></div>
Today I'm participating in the Norse Gods blogfest. Wanting to be a bit different, I'm not going to talk about a deity <i>per se</i>, but a magical ship called Naglfar ("Nail Ship").<br />
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The Norse envisioned the end of the world as a titanic battle between Gods and the forces of Surtr, which included giants, rival gods, and various other fell beings such as the giant wolf Fenrir.<br />
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Sailing against the gods is the ship Naglfar, captained by the trickster god Loki and made entirely from the fingernails and toenails of dead men. It's a vast ship carrying hordes of warriors. In this apocalyptic battle many of the gods are killed, the world is consumed by fire and then flooded, and then rises from the waves fresh and new. Some gods remain to rule over this new land.<br />
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Only two humans are going to survive that particular era in human history, a sort of Norse Adam and Eve who will repopulate the land. The Prose Edda warns us to make sure to trim the nails of the dead to keep the enemies of the gods from completing Naglfar, but since it's all fated to happen anyway, I don't see how we can stop it! <br />
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Below is a shot of the Tullstorp Runestone from Sweden, showing the wolf Fenrir and the ship Naglfar.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawJtZcfIcKosmshL7oodIq4Ssi2NYDVYZt8ot2PVLrvu6bOn6kCJEWKKG6lT6kmQQXbz1hJaEoEJwyPXNs-iVnub1kmsntZlaEnR-Cz8qfm3W6KOA9_1VET02TcMOF_615kH22SXXE60/s1600/467px-TullstorpStone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawJtZcfIcKosmshL7oodIq4Ssi2NYDVYZt8ot2PVLrvu6bOn6kCJEWKKG6lT6kmQQXbz1hJaEoEJwyPXNs-iVnub1kmsntZlaEnR-Cz8qfm3W6KOA9_1VET02TcMOF_615kH22SXXE60/s1600/467px-TullstorpStone.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo courtesy <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TullstorpStone.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a>.</i></td></tr>
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<br />A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-60770538661011731512013-10-07T06:19:00.002-07:002013-10-07T06:19:19.154-07:00Guest Blogging About Fantasy Fiction Over At Sean Mclachlan's BlogI'm guest blogging over at Sean McLachlan's blog today about <a href="http://civilwarhorror.blogspot.com.es/2013/10/guest-post-using-real-cultures-in.html">Using Real Cultures in Fantasy Fiction</a>. Hop on over and check out that post, and also the rest of his blog, which focuses on writing, the Civil War, Wild West, and travel.<br />
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No Medieval Mondays today, but I'll be back on Wednesday with a post for the Norse Gods blogfest. See you then!A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-8003327986611577172013-10-04T04:08:00.001-07:002013-10-06T06:25:55.545-07:00The Maze of Mist out now!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqt3lyu8tQIEYSkKvdb4uV_hmk0bswv_oVsZlglEJIEkBS94q4PYXW-A8g9wCp0Dq6QFIKFBPNvennJpiWkEKEcow8MSSI2s2pspNhRQGYaONQ7Jm_elmHDClkBXNjvd_OYtv6UPx7qk/s1600/9ba80595-3026-4b0f-98d0-d1a0e111cc94.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqt3lyu8tQIEYSkKvdb4uV_hmk0bswv_oVsZlglEJIEkBS94q4PYXW-A8g9wCp0Dq6QFIKFBPNvennJpiWkEKEcow8MSSI2s2pspNhRQGYaONQ7Jm_elmHDClkBXNjvd_OYtv6UPx7qk/s1600/9ba80595-3026-4b0f-98d0-d1a0e111cc94.jpg" /></a></div>
Well, it's finally here. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Maze-of-Mist-ebook/dp/B00FLXJ8FE/ref=la_B00777OYWY_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380884683&sr=1-5"><i>The Maze of Mist</i></a>, my latest fantasy novel, is for sale in the Kindle store! For the first month I've priced it at only $3.99, and it's free for Prime members.<br />
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Here's the blurb:<br />
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<i>When the heir to the throne is treated as an outcast, he has to prove himself before he can rule.</i><br />
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Prince Metis Itxaron is the son of a human father and a goblin mother. As heir to the Twin Thrones, he will some day bear the responsibility of ruling two peoples while protecting the kingdom from the vicious armies of the Bandit Queen and the Elves of the Great Forest.<br />
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Instead he spends his time getting drunk and sleeping with the few women willing to look beyond his mixed heritage.<br />
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In a desperate attempt to make a man out of him, his parents send him on a secret diplomatic mission to prepare for an upcoming war. What they don't expect is that he will come upon visitors from an unknown land beyond the Sea of Mist, a strange labyrinth of fog that has baffled navigators for all of recorded history.<br />
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Metis sees a visit to these new lands as an opportunity to escape his responsibilities and prove himself on his own terms.<br />
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Then he discovers that representatives from his kingdom's enemies are coming along for the voyage. . .<br />
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This is the second book in the <i>Chronicles of the House of Itxaron</i> series. The first volume is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Roots-Run-Deep-ebook/dp/B004LLIFPQ/ref=la_B00777OYWY_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380884776&sr=1-1"><i>Roots Run Deep</i></a>. While set in the same world, each title is a standalone novel.<br />
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Thanks for everyone who helped me on the cover and blurb. Much appreciated!A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-81101056987259563862013-09-28T02:57:00.000-07:002013-09-28T02:57:52.775-07:00Tweaking the cover and blurb for The Maze of Mist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6D15814YvknQ6CcpeU40ypyY780FgDeEGjdqw3n-7KVOmu-QO8Qi3K5pUe5KHpSuCLKwb3k8nlUWR48zVtPyu56HmZzKLgUBmum1YBO5RdE-RTkxc9UzjD3kx8-K5vEevXXY6PclJ-I/s1600/9ba80595-3026-4b0f-98d0-d1a0e111cc94.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6D15814YvknQ6CcpeU40ypyY780FgDeEGjdqw3n-7KVOmu-QO8Qi3K5pUe5KHpSuCLKwb3k8nlUWR48zVtPyu56HmZzKLgUBmum1YBO5RdE-RTkxc9UzjD3kx8-K5vEevXXY6PclJ-I/s640/9ba80595-3026-4b0f-98d0-d1a0e111cc94.jpg" width="401" /></a></div>
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Hey folks! Here's version 2.0 of the cover and blurb for my next book, <i>The Maze of Mist</i>, which is part of the Chronicles of the House of Itxaron series. It's set in the same world as my novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Roots-Run-Deep-ebook/dp/B004LLIFPQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1379588625&sr=1-1&keywords=roots+run+deep"><i>Roots Run Deep</i></a> but it's not a sequel. Both are standalone books.<br />
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WHich cover do you prefer? Any tweaks? How about the blurb? Any input will be highly appreciated!<i><br /></i>
<i>When the heir to the throne is treated as an outcast, he has to prove himself before he can rule.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Prince Metis Itxaron is the son of a human father and a goblin mother.
As heir to the Twin Thrones, he will some day bear the responsibility of
ruling two peoples while protecting the kingdom from the vicious armies
of the Bandit Queen and the Elves of the Great Forest. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Instead he spends his time getting drunk and sleeping with the few women willing to look beyond his mixed heritage.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>In a desperate attempt to make a man out of him, his parents send him
on a secret diplomatic mission to prepare for an upcoming war. What
they don't expect is that he will come upon visitors from an unknown
land beyond the Sea of Mist, a strange labrynthe of fog that has baffled
navigators for all of recorded history. Metis sees a visit to these new
lands as an opportunity to escape his responsibilities and prove
himself on his own terms.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Then he discovers that representatives from his kingdom's enemies are coming along for the voyage. . .</i>A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-92040354169252460542013-09-25T04:55:00.001-07:002013-09-25T04:55:23.385-07:00Guest Post by Jessica Bell: ONLY 99c TO HELP SUPPORT THE INDIE AUTHOR & AN AMAZING CHARITY!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhou4TNnckWTm9bUH3hFMKD14vcy212rS5gLnPezNM43SmWBRkHadK9setNhb0_dvsDvjRqUProiSkDidaTi65yubq0TiSo78ekJ8u8OZ7nrPWo3E2IQJBVXSjd5HrsiMPk9_uj0g-PF58/s1600/Indiestructible+cover_final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhou4TNnckWTm9bUH3hFMKD14vcy212rS5gLnPezNM43SmWBRkHadK9setNhb0_dvsDvjRqUProiSkDidaTi65yubq0TiSo78ekJ8u8OZ7nrPWo3E2IQJBVXSjd5HrsiMPk9_uj0g-PF58/s1600/Indiestructible+cover_final.jpg" /></a></div>
The day I realized I’d been obsessing over my sales figures way too much was the day I closed my eyes and tried to think about the real reason I am an indie author.<br />
<br />
Is my primary goal to make money? No. So why do I keep obsessing over my sales stats? I realized it’s because more sales means more people reading my work. What I really really want is to be read. I want to share the one thing in this world I would cut my fingers off for. I know. If I didn’t have any fingers, I wouldn’t be able to physically write, but you know what I mean.<br />
<br />
My passion for writing comes with a perpetual replacement button, attached to my side seam, just in case it becomes unraveled, and falls off, after a day gallivanting through the publishing jungle. It can be tough in there, but in the end, being an indie author is OH SO WORTH IT.<br />
<br />
This made me wonder … what’s everybody else’s story? Then <i>Indiestructible</i> was born.<br />
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This is not a how-to guide. This is the best of the indie tradition of experienced authors paying forward what they’ve learned, giving you information to help you on your journey. The personal essays in this book will leave you itching to get your work into the hands of readers and experience, first-hand, all the rewards indie publishing has to offer.<br />
<br />
Not only is this anthology packed full of interesting, unique, and genuinely helpful information, and totally worth the 99c (only 99c!!!), 100% of proceeds will be donated to BUILDON.org, a movement which breaks the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education.<br />
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Pretty amazing, huh? What are you waiting for? Buy Indiestructible—support the indie author and an amazing charity—TODAY!<br />
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<a href="http://www.vineleavesliteraryjournal.com/indiestructible.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE INDIESTRUCTIBLE</span></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>About Jessica Bell</b><br />
The Australian-native contemporary fiction author, poet, and singer/songwriter/guitarist, Jessica Bell, also makes a living as an editor and writer for global ELT publishers (English Language Teaching), such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, Macmillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.
She is the co-publishing editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and the director of the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca.
A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-18006081557179459602013-09-23T08:00:00.000-07:002013-09-23T08:00:08.081-07:00Medieval Mondays: Early Irish Ogam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDLWp7IwE3XvhmMbSnvxJZugrjer-d1rJgmWA94xHVMZPPsCZPZ5xqM8wE7ND43KQo5LtURSC4SfPvm-K-lz-8vHYfRIlhNS624202rkNnL-JwRIFnqWKcDxAK-m4TW_ZypbegXVkYDA/s1600/DSC_1020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDLWp7IwE3XvhmMbSnvxJZugrjer-d1rJgmWA94xHVMZPPsCZPZ5xqM8wE7ND43KQo5LtURSC4SfPvm-K-lz-8vHYfRIlhNS624202rkNnL-JwRIFnqWKcDxAK-m4TW_ZypbegXVkYDA/s1600/DSC_1020.JPG" /></a></div>
The Great Court at the British Museum is full of interesting objects such as Greek statues and Native American totem poles. Off to one side is a simple slab of rock that many people pass by. From a distance it doesn't look like much but it's perhaps the rarest object in the room.<br />
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If you look more closely, you'll see a series of slashes cut into the rock. This is a simple form of writing called Ogam. The Irish developed Ogam in the 4th century AD. The system was simple: letters were made up of one to five slashes, either short or long, on either side of a natural edge of the rock or a carved line. Slanted lines and lines that cut across the dividing line were also used. It was generally read counter-clockwise. <br />
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This particular stone dates to the 5th century and was found along with two others, having been reused to build a later medieval fort. The inscription reads, "[stone] of Vedac, [son] of Tob of the Sogain."<br />
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Such a short inscription is common with Ogam. Like Viking runestones, most Ogam stones were simple memorials that only recorded the carver and who the stone was dedicated to. Ogam died out after a couple of centuries as it was replaced by Latin.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjdjwHVqu9etzXOggT3pUu3ZxrwLgyVTnu5NV_arkS7ch_BCaAktXlpxGPC2C5n0tp_ncbfvX5MSIeTnqMad8MrpzwF8lOY6AIwdcav_W3hCpQAyVoPEMV7RhsIg-FffD7SKHyBXOkGg/s1600/DSC_1021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjdjwHVqu9etzXOggT3pUu3ZxrwLgyVTnu5NV_arkS7ch_BCaAktXlpxGPC2C5n0tp_ncbfvX5MSIeTnqMad8MrpzwF8lOY6AIwdcav_W3hCpQAyVoPEMV7RhsIg-FffD7SKHyBXOkGg/s1600/DSC_1021.JPG" /></a></div>
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blahA.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-72024104543907050902013-09-19T04:21:00.001-07:002013-09-19T04:21:49.699-07:00Seeking input on my cover and blurb<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMovRlbWH_JmPLuHPTxdW0BFBZbvr1tHMcVlt2UOwdo__bxZoBamIucnYbckc0cLOV5nJzPDTXovQySsc6iRmPFKg_ihgGdj5A-kqAly9f1Bfsw-9yBsUJougZGhY070Ju5MuY009E_A/s1600/94d52008-46b1-498c-88de-d1c3a9990a51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMovRlbWH_JmPLuHPTxdW0BFBZbvr1tHMcVlt2UOwdo__bxZoBamIucnYbckc0cLOV5nJzPDTXovQySsc6iRmPFKg_ihgGdj5A-kqAly9f1Bfsw-9yBsUJougZGhY070Ju5MuY009E_A/s1600/94d52008-46b1-498c-88de-d1c3a9990a51.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Hey folks! I'm preparing to release my next book, <i>The Maze of Mist</i>, which is part of the Chronicles of the House of Itxaron series. It's set in the same world as my novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Roots-Run-Deep-ebook/dp/B004LLIFPQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1379588625&sr=1-1&keywords=roots+run+deep"><i>Roots Run Deep</i></a> but it's not a sequel. Both are standalone books.<br />
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Anyway, I've whipped this up on Kindle's Cover Creator. I'm not 100% satisfied with it so I could use some input. Too gray? What other colors could I use that go with the picture? I'm new to the cover design game.<br />
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Also, here's a draft of the blurb. Any input will be highly appreciated!<br />
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<i>When the heir to the throne is treated as an outcast, he has to prove himself before he can rule.</i><br />
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<i>Prince Metis Itxaron is the son of human father and a goblin mother. As heir to the Twin Thrones, he will some day bear the responsibility of ruling two peoples while protecting the kingdom from the vicious armies of the Bandit Queen and the Elves of the Great Forest. </i><br />
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<i>Instead he spends his time getting drunk and sleeping with the few women willing to look beyond his mixed heritage.</i><br />
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<i>In a desperate attempt to make a man out of him, his parents send him on a secret diplomatic mission to prepare for an upcoming war. What they don't expect is that he will come upon visitors from an unknown land beyond the Sea of Mist, a strange labrynthe of fog that has baffled navigators for all of recorded history. Metis sees a visit to these new lands as an opportunity to escape his responsibilities and prove himself on his own terms.</i><br />
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<i>Then he discovers that representatives from his kingdom's enemies are coming along for the voyage. . .</i>A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-9179810153446540252013-09-16T07:18:00.000-07:002013-09-16T07:18:09.630-07:00Medieval Mondays: How do you know when you're Middle-Aged?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9u8U-0_JUgo2wyiU-r62mp7oubftAhZX699nF2qdoQ9maPEnP9mFkV4qO_-xtvDyG0qK6k4lFR0Vh1zsByDWpuOufZtpWcfyYjQ3p3HRe_S_MHmX9LL6rsKdZPEIxxt0DLhTRwGoTvqQ/s1600/Middle+Aged.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9u8U-0_JUgo2wyiU-r62mp7oubftAhZX699nF2qdoQ9maPEnP9mFkV4qO_-xtvDyG0qK6k4lFR0Vh1zsByDWpuOufZtpWcfyYjQ3p3HRe_S_MHmX9LL6rsKdZPEIxxt0DLhTRwGoTvqQ/s1600/Middle+Aged.jpg" /></a></div>
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'Nuff said!A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-9953680732520958642013-09-09T08:01:00.000-07:002013-09-09T08:01:00.148-07:00Medieval Mondays: The Byzantine Solidus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZO4cLbVjBFqmXd7QhQbacb1YWo8-Y-or435TpP3P0-uvogCwUF2anflXS0VYFexeVNdYVTsgJe4BAxHxtW3qVg7nO7LTD-gk1bepdaNIgY0TCh8F6sdAPUDRmdHNTB28d2x2yqdSsS14/s1600/Solidus_Julian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZO4cLbVjBFqmXd7QhQbacb1YWo8-Y-or435TpP3P0-uvogCwUF2anflXS0VYFexeVNdYVTsgJe4BAxHxtW3qVg7nO7LTD-gk1bepdaNIgY0TCh8F6sdAPUDRmdHNTB28d2x2yqdSsS14/s1600/Solidus_Julian.jpg" /></a></div>
In these days of financial crisis, it's important to have your investments in hard currency like the pound or the dollar. This has always been the case.<br />
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The later Roman Empire saw serious economic upheavals and a debasement of the coinage. Emperors tried to pay their expenses by minting more coins with less valuable metal, but of course people noticed and this led to inflation.<br />
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The Emperor Justinian (ruled 306-337 AD) reversed this trend by creating the solidus, a pure gold coin set at 1/72 of a Roman pound (about 4.5 grams). This helped stabilize the economy, but didn't save the Western Roman Empire from being overrun by Germanic tribes in the following century.<br />
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In the east, Rome continued as the <a href="http://genreauthor.blogspot.com.es/search/label/Byzantium">Byzantine Empire</a>, and the solidus was the benchmark currency. The solidus was trusted everywhere, and has been found as far away as India and China. It remained unchanged until the 11th century, when Byzantium started having economic problems of its own and the coin was debased. Even so, the old solidi remained in circulation through most of the Middle Ages. We have lots of examples of this coin because, unlike many other coins, it was such a trusted currency nobody wanted to melt it down for its metal.<br />
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For more on medieval money, check out my post on <a href="http://genreauthor.blogspot.com.es/2011/03/medieval-monday-small-change-in-middle.html">small change in the Middle Ages</a><i>.</i><br />
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<i>Photo of a solidus from the reign of Julian (reigned 361-363 AD) courtesy <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Solidus_Julian.jpg">Wikipedia</a>.</i>A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-75219417011081378092013-08-26T01:23:00.000-07:002013-08-26T01:23:00.597-07:00Medieval Mondays: A Poisoner's Ring from Bulgaria<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij64D-YYMYZL-hEVZJ6HMxY8KmI4RaNAGAuMGFhSrvgi7ZX6dI07vtPL1DzuI_colmXmBXm5zC1Txcf0GFqpsaHF6RwwBe61Vs1g5PyY1xvsGuxnRsC_e6ZPP8ziW9U4-dA8vGTh1ak-Y/s1600/poison-ring-Kavarna-1-604x272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij64D-YYMYZL-hEVZJ6HMxY8KmI4RaNAGAuMGFhSrvgi7ZX6dI07vtPL1DzuI_colmXmBXm5zC1Txcf0GFqpsaHF6RwwBe61Vs1g5PyY1xvsGuxnRsC_e6ZPP8ziW9U4-dA8vGTh1ak-Y/s1600/poison-ring-Kavarna-1-604x272.jpg" /></a></div>
Archaeologists working in Bulgaria have found a 14th century ring that may have been used to slip poison into someone's drink, the <a href="http://sofiaglobe.com/2013/08/20/14th-century-poison-ring-found-near-bulgarias-kavarna/"><i>Sofia Globe</i></a> reports.<br />
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The ring, which was found at the fortress of Cape Kaliakra on the Black Sea, is small and would have probably been worn on the little finger. It has a box-like decoration that's hollow and has a small hole on the side that would be covered up by the ring finger. All the wearer would have to do is spread his fingers and the contents of the box would spill out, supposedly into someone's drink.<br />
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Similar rings have been found elsewhere in Europe, especially Italy and Spain.<br />
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It's of a style generally worn by men. The archaeologists theorize that it played a part in the political intrigues of the day, when aristocrats vied for control of Bulgaria and even played a role in Byzantine and Venetian politics.<br />
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Last year a <a href="http://genreauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/vampire-skeleton-reburied-with-honors.html">vampire skeleton</a> was found in Bulgaria. Sounds like it was quite the place in the good old days!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqggT5QPWz6RcExUA0WpxA5ftEqIO63oFKAkolR7JcLXbjLgMeHXax9m5ag5DyBbyVnbkCFy6pRalx0WreuLLOSzov4cKcVnhTZLV5OOGYqsUvRzRcNtSuuPiBc998XO26hUlFhgvXV3U/s1600/poison-ring-Kavarna-2-600x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqggT5QPWz6RcExUA0WpxA5ftEqIO63oFKAkolR7JcLXbjLgMeHXax9m5ag5DyBbyVnbkCFy6pRalx0WreuLLOSzov4cKcVnhTZLV5OOGYqsUvRzRcNtSuuPiBc998XO26hUlFhgvXV3U/s1600/poison-ring-Kavarna-2-600x400.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-11596027898154143362013-08-12T06:35:00.001-07:002013-08-12T06:35:28.703-07:00Medieval Mondays: The Dunstable Swan Jewel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1lecW8mty_yxZherGzJgW_mH3ui2XerrFVrEUQijawzhGRRFnctRbVOMW7ErsaqPLI_bHttF2ELwJlsvkOPaMsvUe6EDUQ5URFuwJkozSfyiozIAaK5No2YhgAEVluK_2ye-LJS9ZAA/s1600/DSC_1029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1lecW8mty_yxZherGzJgW_mH3ui2XerrFVrEUQijawzhGRRFnctRbVOMW7ErsaqPLI_bHttF2ELwJlsvkOPaMsvUe6EDUQ5URFuwJkozSfyiozIAaK5No2YhgAEVluK_2ye-LJS9ZAA/s1600/DSC_1029.JPG" /></a></div>
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This beautiful little piece of jewelry is called the Dunstable Swan and is one of the overlooked treasures of the British Museum. It was found in a Dominican Priory in Dunstable, England, and probably dates to the 14th or early 15th century.<br />
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Knights at that time liked to think they were descended from one of Arthur's Knights of the Round Table, such as the Knight of the Swan. Both the powerful de Bohun family and the House of Lancaster had the swan as their symbol and when King Henry IV (reigned 1399-1413) married Mary de Bohun he took the swan as his personal symbol.<br />
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This was probably the personal ornament of a member of the family or one of the knights who swore fealty to them. I love the detail on this little figure, which is only about two centimeters tall!A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-55453874537325952132013-08-05T02:20:00.000-07:002013-08-05T02:20:08.603-07:00Medieval Mondays: Byzantine Silver in an Anglo-Saxon Burial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfWq9bJKPLvtjzBa5KylbkCCgIwdLYRDYd3DeJvYcKNV7-bgmWJaTg43AmBGN7PpV_-M9HfqsF5K4M6Sri0JPnDWzXPNQvEBLixHqArmWrni79cnUhq6UrZAzQkSu_DC3ll3BmJc21Vc/s1600/AN00173232_002_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfWq9bJKPLvtjzBa5KylbkCCgIwdLYRDYd3DeJvYcKNV7-bgmWJaTg43AmBGN7PpV_-M9HfqsF5K4M6Sri0JPnDWzXPNQvEBLixHqArmWrni79cnUhq6UrZAzQkSu_DC3ll3BmJc21Vc/s1600/AN00173232_002_l.jpg" /></a></div>
We've all heard of Sutton Hoo, that amazing treasure-filled ship burial of Anglo-Saxon royalty. One interesting aspect of the hoard buried with this man was there was a large amount of silver from the <a href="http://genreauthor.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Byzantine">Byzantine Empire</a>. This was the eastern part of the empire centered on Constantinople that survived nearly a thousand years after the last emperor in Rome was overthrown in 476 AD.<br />
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The most splendid example is the Anastasius Platter, a large decorated platter that bears the reign stamp of Anastasius I, who ruled 491-518 AD. This was basically a control stamp guaranteeing the purity of the silver, something you still see on good silver today. Here are some shots of this work of art courtesy the British Museum.<br />
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By the time of the Sutton Hoo burial in the early 7th century, this platter was already more than a century old. so it certainly had time to make it all the way to England. The Byzantine Empire was famed for its power and artwork, and even as far away as England, people craved to have something from its workshops. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjoLovFrYKgNslY9oL2R0CPMe66bJSjYxgxMhGd75ptSpTi6ceBfCSjBkEA7fXwiwjYN89FjHy1xVi0e9smVBBNQ9JwurIIrKza9j96pTsQYy9KT9Zsr-6vQhgbeo-yMfZEX1AM07ON8/s1600/AN00467721_001_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjoLovFrYKgNslY9oL2R0CPMe66bJSjYxgxMhGd75ptSpTi6ceBfCSjBkEA7fXwiwjYN89FjHy1xVi0e9smVBBNQ9JwurIIrKza9j96pTsQYy9KT9Zsr-6vQhgbeo-yMfZEX1AM07ON8/s1600/AN00467721_001_l.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Central decoration</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWnPaU6E4IFUJwEROp1NQ0FTTw74OrLwjtbDh8kcRPHW9QdLyUa3DlQtJF_QcANb6PCygsfxxLhvwrUyH7WVFEM0P7Nl-Nh-bMcE79p8hjNgLBz-0W9UI5yzBJbBd7ZHpIR_jdL6jAyE/s1600/AN00252520_001_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWnPaU6E4IFUJwEROp1NQ0FTTw74OrLwjtbDh8kcRPHW9QdLyUa3DlQtJF_QcANb6PCygsfxxLhvwrUyH7WVFEM0P7Nl-Nh-bMcE79p8hjNgLBz-0W9UI5yzBJbBd7ZHpIR_jdL6jAyE/s1600/AN00252520_001_l.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of four control stamps of Emperor Anastasius I on the back</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr9LWdtLAcYePT0ijR1qJXI5K3xJFi58nGGScY_bc8ZjvfgEPvz5RZdd28Zlmct4hL38YTjqImjTXcc0XIsNvI9aO0hRryzQtphXoqpswrXKljxOVUwrbXsuA-YW8amWbXbXsof3fSYgs/s1600/AN00467601_001_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr9LWdtLAcYePT0ijR1qJXI5K3xJFi58nGGScY_bc8ZjvfgEPvz5RZdd28Zlmct4hL38YTjqImjTXcc0XIsNvI9aO0hRryzQtphXoqpswrXKljxOVUwrbXsuA-YW8amWbXbXsof3fSYgs/s1600/AN00467601_001_l.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rim decoration<br />
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A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-10672901930261206422013-07-23T08:03:00.002-07:002013-07-23T08:03:52.483-07:00Free fantasy novel on Smashwords<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi979NfE0hWF-7oNuN0blu4V2Q-aqY3Q56zifMvA-UQu_t_MMWxLxW_ZjjPBiGePfdB26vDjyAQwZTxicOkfUwTO_L6Tge8YJ2U0p3HOYIPnks0G0rL8wjgIGSXuWY4y1bWFL5NjFLVbtg/s1600/quint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi979NfE0hWF-7oNuN0blu4V2Q-aqY3Q56zifMvA-UQu_t_MMWxLxW_ZjjPBiGePfdB26vDjyAQwZTxicOkfUwTO_L6Tge8YJ2U0p3HOYIPnks0G0rL8wjgIGSXuWY4y1bWFL5NjFLVbtg/s1600/quint.jpg" /></a></div>
Historical fantasy author and occasional guest poster <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Sean%20McLachlan&search-alias=books&sort=relevancerank">Sean McLachlan</a> is now offering his latest novel free on <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/315109">Smashwords</a>. <i>The Quintessence of Absence</i> was originally published in the respected fantasy magazine <a href="http://www.blackgate.com/"><i>Black Gate</i></a>. The blurb goes:<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Can a drug-addicted sorcerer sober up long enough to save a kidnapped girl and his own Duchy?</i><br />
<br />
<i>In
an alternate 18th century Germany where magic is real and paganism
never died, Lothar is in the bonds of nepenthe, a powerful drug that
gives him ecstatic visions. It has also taken his job, his friends, and
his self-respect. Now his old employer has rehired Lothar to find the
man's daughter, who is in the grip of her own addiction to nepenthe.</i><br />
<br />
<i>As
Lothar digs deeper into the girl's disappearance, he uncovers a plot
that threatens the entire Duchy of Anhalt, and finds the only way to
stop it is to face his own weakness.</i><br />
<br />
Thanks to Sean for offering some free reading. Do you have a promotion you'd like to spread the word about? Drop me a line and I'd be happy to share.<i><br /></i>A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-45176144671725468812013-07-22T01:32:00.002-07:002013-07-22T01:33:41.070-07:00Medieval Mondays: Saint Lucy with her eyes on a plate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEd9cW414_LszBkAHpFYJVF2_9A0dFZFUe9ul_vRiuLPQym8a6UVdBbjckwEO4H1suUdgO7yxKxr-MztjjvT91Uj0DE4M8LRypZaK2NFUpj0zGxxK3jfsW602KyA6XoQaxln1T8liBu9I/s1600/DSC_0861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEd9cW414_LszBkAHpFYJVF2_9A0dFZFUe9ul_vRiuLPQym8a6UVdBbjckwEO4H1suUdgO7yxKxr-MztjjvT91Uj0DE4M8LRypZaK2NFUpj0zGxxK3jfsW602KyA6XoQaxln1T8liBu9I/s1600/DSC_0861.JPG" /></a></div>
Perhaps it's because I wasn't raised Catholic, but I still do a double take at some of the images of saints. Take Saint Lucy, for instance, who is commonly portrayed holding a pair of eyes on a plate, as you can see in this Spanish painting from the late 15th or early 16th century.<br />
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They're actually her eyes, despite the fact that in this picture she has a pair of perfectly good ones in her head. Hey, she's a saint, she can do that sort of thing.<br />
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Saint Lucy or Lucia was a Christian martyr who lived from 283-304 and was killed during the great persecution of Christians under the Roman emperor Diocletian. Like many Christian martyrs, she was killed after refusing to make sacrifices to the Imperial cult.<br />
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She was said to have been killed by a sword, but a much later tradition grew up that she had her eyes gouged out first. In another story, she took out her own eyes because they were so pretty they were attracting unwanted attention for this woman who taken a vow of chastity. Today Saint Lucy is venerated as the protector of good sight. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmI-cYqT-iqo7ZMPgsFJwQB1qsHSXmQItTZ2L8R5hKpB3X4m0A4j6jlhpwaYOqbZTYLvve2KddSszu5y7_NGX5LU18TjFGrM4asNMJoCvqTv5CxdmaYQ6fA7iQaa4Dq7aSLC0IzHxYhM/s1600/DSC_0860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmI-cYqT-iqo7ZMPgsFJwQB1qsHSXmQItTZ2L8R5hKpB3X4m0A4j6jlhpwaYOqbZTYLvve2KddSszu5y7_NGX5LU18TjFGrM4asNMJoCvqTv5CxdmaYQ6fA7iQaa4Dq7aSLC0IzHxYhM/s1600/DSC_0860.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-81811580729714809322013-07-15T04:55:00.000-07:002013-07-15T04:55:00.536-07:00Medieval Mondays: Parasites found in Crusader poop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1OqDse159SIjJ0G9Mf-o-o-ha2WCDFKmvf0LME19Jo5J8FAj7L56adtpCwQF2RpyLPBRN-lLaRYAdn8-h15UvZcElS4kpV2Xvj_2Jetv4LdOFnSLhyphenhyphend7iiT5R8hg8G6yAzL5vJTTDz8/s1600/800px-Trichuris_trichiura.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1OqDse159SIjJ0G9Mf-o-o-ha2WCDFKmvf0LME19Jo5J8FAj7L56adtpCwQF2RpyLPBRN-lLaRYAdn8-h15UvZcElS4kpV2Xvj_2Jetv4LdOFnSLhyphenhyphend7iiT5R8hg8G6yAzL5vJTTDz8/s1600/800px-Trichuris_trichiura.jpg" /></a></div>
This ugly picture is of a whipworm. It's a common parasite in the human gut along with roundworm. Back in the Middle Ages they were even more common thanks to poor sanitation.<br />
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<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/medieval-feces-shows-crusaders-struggled-worms-hygiene-141534352.html">Now Reuters reports</a> that archaeologists working at Saranda Kolones castle, a 12th century <a href="http://genreauthor.blogspot.com.es/2011/05/medieval-mondays-gallery-of-crusader.html">Crusader castle</a> in Cyprus, have discovered a medieval latrine. It consists of a stone bench with a half circle cut through it, so the Crusader poop could drop into sewer. We <a href="http://genreauthor.blogspot.com.es/search/label/archaeology">archaeologists</a> have an insatiable curiosity about life in the past so this was a great opportunity to dredge up some 800 year-old sewage and look at it under a microscope.<br />
<br />
The team discovered large numbers of whipworm and roundworm eggs, showing the Crusaders had trouble with these little critters. These worms suck out nutrients from food before the body can absorb them and can often kill someone if they are already malnourished, a common problem for medieval soldiers.<br />
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Experts estimate that 15-20 percent of medieval troops died from malnourishment or infectious diseases while on campaign.A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-38348796079161556812013-06-24T06:45:00.000-07:002013-07-13T04:24:39.931-07:00Medieval Mondays: Gilded Leather<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjr8JYJZrfoKHyRgE-QZzzfoRKv9Wc6bJK7KFJ5Z9-yqJA3kDs_Wl0IoGaNU_O9WvQUSqK8rVsqK8QHQc63UxuHwbNRsyRsfthySaXZl_bAE0nZwM6RCQkYEEtPfIlAeblWLE0iOVlLrU/s1600/DSC_2678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjr8JYJZrfoKHyRgE-QZzzfoRKv9Wc6bJK7KFJ5Z9-yqJA3kDs_Wl0IoGaNU_O9WvQUSqK8rVsqK8QHQc63UxuHwbNRsyRsfthySaXZl_bAE0nZwM6RCQkYEEtPfIlAeblWLE0iOVlLrU/s1600/DSC_2678.JPG" /></a></div>
Before there was wallpaper there was gilded leather. Wealthy homeowners would decorate their walls with panels of leather such as these.<br />
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Gilded leather has its origins in Libya, where it was first developed around the 6th century. By the 9th century it had made it to Spain. It was slow to spread north of the Pyrenees. Eventually it caught on in the Low Countries and became popular in the 17th and 18th centuries.<br />
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Gilded leather is a bit of a misnomer. It's actually leather covered with a silver foil. To keep the silver from oxidizing a varnish was applied that gave it a golden color.<br />
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These photos were taken at the <a href="http://www.museumplantinmoretus.be/Museum_PlantinMoretus_EN/PlantinMoretus_EN.html">Plantin-Moretus Museum</a> in Antwerp, Belgium. This old printing company dates back to the 1550s and is filled with some fascinating old printing presses, antiquarian volumes, and of course walls decorated in gilded leather!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_wPdmJ-oSKBvV1mFPjHewmDRacSUVaLp8YfijetBZi8al3yLHXM8PY3n7aD_sJ8QqVjkD8pPcHPCggZ5Gp0wVCDgmWrG7b9hnU0U2wTFTRy_HYSDzWuux1ArjpXs7kMQW1H9z-twF-I/s1600/DSC_2668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_wPdmJ-oSKBvV1mFPjHewmDRacSUVaLp8YfijetBZi8al3yLHXM8PY3n7aD_sJ8QqVjkD8pPcHPCggZ5Gp0wVCDgmWrG7b9hnU0U2wTFTRy_HYSDzWuux1ArjpXs7kMQW1H9z-twF-I/s1600/DSC_2668.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-43338208112350554452013-06-18T01:14:00.000-07:002013-06-18T01:14:00.150-07:00Coming in July: The Maze of Mist!Last month I finished my latest fantasy novel, <i>The Maze of Mist</i>, a sequel to my fantasy novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Roots-Run-Deep-ebook/dp/B004LLIFPQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1366645960&sr=1-1&keywords=roots+run+deep"><i>Roots Run Deep</i></a>. The action takes place
twenty years later and follows the adventures of Metis Itxaron, son of
the human King Roderick and goblin Queen Kip, as he discovers an unknown continent and struggles with accepting his mixed heritage.<br />
<br />
I've been busy with edits and beta reads for several weeks now. The book should be ready to go up on Kindle, Smashwords, etc, in late July. I'm still looking for cover art, though. If anyone out there knows of a good Creative Commons or inexpensive image of an old-style sailing ship sailing through the mist, please mention it here. <br />
<br />
This sequel is a standalone novel and you don't have to read the first
book to understand the second, although I certainly won't complain if you do! I like loosely knit series like that.A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-58388707227169526912013-06-17T01:04:00.002-07:002013-06-17T01:04:09.621-07:00Medieval Mondays: Why Did Leprosy Disappear from Europe?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloLoxRKcCA5wCS84tj3ltprtsuAUXtzvdx3yoaNID3iFZW4YVgGkxYSJdcaSXj14gwR6vKGaTKv3uGk5EWkKkxQkQBv2lxIl6w-a8yNzfz1gFlQ64CZA3xR-9W1edYng_i7CYCQ7CGqA/s1600/800px-Leprosy_bell.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloLoxRKcCA5wCS84tj3ltprtsuAUXtzvdx3yoaNID3iFZW4YVgGkxYSJdcaSXj14gwR6vKGaTKv3uGk5EWkKkxQkQBv2lxIl6w-a8yNzfz1gFlQ64CZA3xR-9W1edYng_i7CYCQ7CGqA/s1600/800px-Leprosy_bell.JPG" /></a></div>
They are one of the enduring images of the Middle Ages. With their horrible open wounds and missing fingers, lepers caused fear and revulsion wherever they went. In some places, they still do. While leprosy is hard to catch, the simple medicine of the time didn't know this and had no cure. A disease so horrible, people thought, must be contagious.<br />
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It was also considered a judgement from God. In some areas, lepers were forced to stand in an open grave as a priest declared them dead. They were forbidden from living in towns or cities and had to wear bells in order to warn people of their presence.<br />
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Leprosy was widespread, with up to one in 30 people affected in some areas. But by the 16th century it was disappearing. Why?<br />
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A <a href="http://popular-archaeology.com/issue/june-2013/article/scientists-uncover-clues-to-pattern-of-leprosy-in-medieval-europe">recent archaeological research project</a> set out to answer this question. A team of archaeologists and biologists exhumed the bones of medieval lepers and sequenced the DNA of five strains of the leprosy bacteria. They found no significant difference between medieval leprosy and the strains still found today in Asia. The disease hadn't become any less virulent, so why did it die out?<br />
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It appears it was the victim of its own success. People have a genetic level of resistance to particular diseases. Those who were most susceptible died from it and didn't pass on their genes. Leprosy was one of the few grounds for divorce in medieval Europe. Only those individuals who had stronger resistance to leprosy remained, and thus the disease all but died out in Europe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAZIwvvnm1VCBytogmnih8MPdGXTU9qwS5BqKntAHRoubb8mqcRrF4ooDLDuxvDIKfmXBgnk-DaG2DAjGXwpcZQNVam6s_ROTZAzAVy9z0eanYYCfK6EgtAy8TSvSC571A26cqzG-fJQ/s1600/800px-Leprosorium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAZIwvvnm1VCBytogmnih8MPdGXTU9qwS5BqKntAHRoubb8mqcRrF4ooDLDuxvDIKfmXBgnk-DaG2DAjGXwpcZQNVam6s_ROTZAzAVy9z0eanYYCfK6EgtAy8TSvSC571A26cqzG-fJQ/s1600/800px-Leprosorium.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-44919487568474907412013-06-10T06:47:00.001-07:002013-06-10T06:47:12.786-07:00Medieval Mondays: Archaeologists trace Viking voyage in North America<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEk29pEoL1DZ13Y5BU0iXifCJ75UmIe281Pc9AxmL00fwWCsfNTFzghQn3oYiuqniUYaQXpUkr_hyXEv5Swyc8Pgnp9S7RAjNsK_YZyGnrdWkc2VhldBf2UvXgeztXtABgcOBFPkN7_aM/s1600/new-norse-voyage-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEk29pEoL1DZ13Y5BU0iXifCJ75UmIe281Pc9AxmL00fwWCsfNTFzghQn3oYiuqniUYaQXpUkr_hyXEv5Swyc8Pgnp9S7RAjNsK_YZyGnrdWkc2VhldBf2UvXgeztXtABgcOBFPkN7_aM/s1600/new-norse-voyage-2.jpg" /></a></div>
One of the things that has always fascinated me about my field is how you can discover so much from seemingly innocuous remains.<br />
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Take this piece of jasper, for example. It was found at the site of L'Anse Aux Meadows, the Viking settlement in Newfoundland, Canada. This is the only <a href="http://genreauthor.blogspot.com.es/search/label/Viking">Viking</a> settlement so far discovered in the North America, but an analysis of this piece of jasper hints they went further afield.<br />
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It was used as a fire starter. If you struck it against a piece of steel it would make sparks. Bits of jasper are common finds in Viking sites. What's interesting about jasper and many other stones is that their chemical composition differs depending on where they come from. Thus you can analyze them and determine their origin.<br />
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<a href="http://www.livescience.com/37189-new-viking-voyage-discovered.html">Archaeologists analyzed this fire starter</a> and found that it came from Notre Dame Bay, 143 miles (230 kilometers) south of the settlement. At that time (c. 1000 AD) the bay was inhabited by the ancestors of the Beothuk people and was rich in timber and wildlife. This would have been a good place to trade, being much more inhabited and rich in resources than the bleak area around L'Anse Aux Meadows.<br />
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Perhaps more investigations will reveal more detail about the lives of these rugged explorers from a thousand years ago. A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-7209016127982705002013-05-20T08:38:00.000-07:002013-05-20T08:39:04.509-07:00Medieval Mondays: The Curious Weapons of Henry VIII<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijaIL2xRLMghjbNnpqs-RjKBN37m0spaUrNZV_ownMUoK4Tsfy4krsd531OF43wV9O_krTCLondL14eshV0LdNZEU0kq2tsJyOlT5FpLkqHswr3lxr9dGDlIgvgFJk5D1G2B8gTnS4bfk/s1600/Henry-VIII-walking-staff-xiv.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijaIL2xRLMghjbNnpqs-RjKBN37m0spaUrNZV_ownMUoK4Tsfy4krsd531OF43wV9O_krTCLondL14eshV0LdNZEU0kq2tsJyOlT5FpLkqHswr3lxr9dGDlIgvgFJk5D1G2B8gTnS4bfk/s1600/Henry-VIII-walking-staff-xiv.1.jpg" /></a></div>
Henry VIII ruled England from 1509 to 1547 and was famous for overfondness for eating and bumping off wives. It's often forgotten that he was a capable military leader who turned the British navy into something that would be respected the world over for the next 500 years.<br />
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As a man of military interests, he collected a large variety of weapons and armor. Many of them are now in the <a href="http://www.royalarmouries.org/what-we-do/publications/new-publications">Royal Armouries</a>, including these two strange weapons.<br />
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The first is a what's called a Holy Water Sprinkler, basically a heavy spiked club. This one has an extra feature, though. Included in the head are three short pistols. You can see the touch hole for one of them in this photo.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6sEa2wnCK_vsMP2Ae1SwsgsI4bqnP2OqkkM_RDz7RPdtCIowEy3FzAlHgDQMvvQJquyG-uEIpBaa6iOg2kpmu6ehAZXfBHyzgfYFtuzFJd9Cd_AvLkWJop7v_sAdoUIkY83xUlWMsH8/s1600/Henry-VIII-gunshield-v.79.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6sEa2wnCK_vsMP2Ae1SwsgsI4bqnP2OqkkM_RDz7RPdtCIowEy3FzAlHgDQMvvQJquyG-uEIpBaa6iOg2kpmu6ehAZXfBHyzgfYFtuzFJd9Cd_AvLkWJop7v_sAdoUIkY83xUlWMsH8/s1600/Henry-VIII-gunshield-v.79.jpg" /></a></div>
Another example is this metal buckler with a pistol. Firearms were just coming into their own at this time, developing from the <a href="http://genreauthor.blogspot.com.es/2011/05/medieval-handgonnes-how-accurate-were.html">medieval handgonne</a> to superior matchlock and wheellock weapons. The shield is richly engraved and like the Holy Water Sprinkler doesn't appear to ever have been used. In fact, there's no record of these combination weapons ever being issued to troops. They do look cool, though, and are tempting to add to a story sometime!A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283932220455950582.post-68282410826593507362013-05-14T04:47:00.000-07:002013-05-14T04:47:50.665-07:00A new historical fantasy novel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibShh2_D3T-ZN-LJYoGO93QDtM8n4DvxsoIVdWJwXtUuCVo0zpcblz-PYtLZRwRazzFOPBwLNEAhOefwLioSTJ17W65AVrEh7nktYCcfw__KmBypLJzfqxKFGMC8iBY_Xd0SfL3muEFnY/s1600/Q_OF_A+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibShh2_D3T-ZN-LJYoGO93QDtM8n4DvxsoIVdWJwXtUuCVo0zpcblz-PYtLZRwRazzFOPBwLNEAhOefwLioSTJ17W65AVrEh7nktYCcfw__KmBypLJzfqxKFGMC8iBY_Xd0SfL3muEFnY/s640/Q_OF_A+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Historical fantasy author <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Sean%20McLachlan&search-alias=books&sort=relevancerank">Sean McLachlan</a> has come out with his latest novel. Called <i>The Quintessence of Absence</i>, it's out now on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Quintessence-of-Absence-ebook/dp/B00CQ5P3UE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1368260389&sr=1-1&keywords=quintessence+of+absence">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Quintessence-of-Absence-ebook/dp/B00CQ5P3UE/ref=sr_1_8?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1368531902&sr=1-8">Amazon UK</a>, and <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/315109">Smashwords</a>. The blurb goes:<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Can a drug-addicted sorcerer sober up long enough to save a kidnapped girl and his own Duchy?</i><br />
<br />
<i>In
an alternate 18th century Germany where magic is real and paganism
never died, Lothar is in the bonds of nepenthe, a powerful drug that
gives him ecstatic visions. It has also taken his job, his friends, and
his self-respect. Now his old employer has rehired Lothar to find the
man's daughter, who is in the grip of her own addiction to nepenthe.</i><br />
<br />
<i>As
Lothar digs deeper into the girl's disappearance, he uncovers a plot
that threatens the entire Duchy of Anhalt, and finds the only way to
stop it is to face his own weakness.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Congratulations<i>,</i> Sean!<br />
<br />A.J. Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883460118925866873noreply@blogger.com1