”…a Grim but Spellbinding Tale…”

So says prolific Black Horse Western author Philip McCormac about ‘The Doe and the Dragon’.  Here are Phil’s comments in full:
“There are those writers who do historical and are good at what they do. Then there are those who write horror and that’s good too. But Andrew Richardson melds the two and his talent is such it works excellently well. Throw these ingredients into a cauldron of Celtic savagery and magic and you wallow in a grim but spellbinding tale of heroic warriors and beautiful maidens.”

Doe-Dragon ‘Blurb’

‘The Doe and the Dragon’ is published on May 1.  It’s a historical fantasy set around Welsh myths, in 5th century north Wales.  The story includes legendary characters such as Merlin, Vortigern, Uther Pendragon, the Lady of the Lake, and Igraine in a historical setting.

The book will be available from Rogue Phoenix Press.

Here is the ‘blurb’:

Prince Einion, The Impetuous Warlord of Gwynedd, boasts that he fears nothing.  Deep inside, though, he is terrified of beautiful women and would rather face a hundred Saxon warriors than have to approach a pretty maiden.

Breena, a settler-girl, captures Einion’s heart when he comes across her in an enchanted valley.  His tongue dries and ties itself in knots, rendering him incapable of speech.  She runs away, fearing he is a spirit form the Otherworld --but the smitten prince vows to woo her.

When Breena is captured by Einion’s enemy, the prince must overcome sadistic raiders, religious intolerance, and an ancient, violent evil in his attempt to rescue her.  Only then can he try to win what he most desires-- the stunning woman who terrifies him more than any enemy he has faced on the battlefield.

Doe-Dragon Release Date: 1 May

A reminder that my Arthurian-period historical fantasy, ‘The Doe and the Dragon’, is due for release on 1 May, from Rogue Phoenix Press!

There are a couple of previews to come before release, and I’ll post links when they’re available.

The Doe and the Dragon Listed

I’ve been doing some surfing, and found the “The Doe and the Dragon’s” first listing – at Manic Readers.  They’ve got my name a bit wrong, but I assume that’s a database error that will soon be rectified. 

Here’s the link: http://www.manicreaders.com/index.cfm?disp=bookdetail&bookid=12033

Einion the Dragon

‘The Doe and The Dragon’ continues to near publication.  I’ve sent final edits back to Rogue Phoenix Press, and I assume the next stage is to await a publication date.

The novel is set in fifth-century north Wales, and the hero is the semi-historical Einion Yrth (‘The Impetuous’).  But who was Einion Yrth?  And how have I treated him?

According to the myths, Cunedda was a minor kingt who came down from the north of England to settle in north Wales to help fend off Irish raids.  He had numerous sons who travelled with him, and Einion later became king of the region, despite being the youngest.  (Sadly for romantics, historians are trending to the view that the story and sons are made up to give the dynasty a history and provide names for sub-kingdoms.)

We know little else about Einion, but his title ‘Yrth’ has led some to suggest he might have been the original Uther Pendragon (Arthur’s father, of course).

I had to make Einion heroic because he must be worthy of being a leader.  But I also wanted him vulnerable, to make him sympathetic.  So, I have him self-confident, and of course impetuousness, and quick to anger.  But I gave him a flaw – an inability to deal with beautiful women. 

It is this shyness that I have tried to play up in the story; he loves Breena, the beautiful Irish woman he meets, but does not know how to woo her.  This isn’t a story about heroism or good against evil, or about history, although they all play an important part.  It is about Einion’s almost blundering efforts to win the hand of the woman he loves.

Spotlight Day

Fellow Eternal Press author Gianna Bruno has invited me to join her ‘Spotlight Day’ at Coffee Time Romance this Thursday, 10 February.

We’ll be talking about writing from the viewpoint of the opposite sex, and I’ll also give an update of where we are with getting ‘The Doe and the Dragon’ and ‘The Well’ published.

Please come and join us!

Writing Review of 2010

At this time of year the world seems to be full of reviews of 2010, so I though I’d do a brief one, too.

In terms of output, the year was a slightly disappointing one. A mixture of computer problems, Junior needing the main PC for exam work, and family illnesses meant several periods of inactivity. Not only did that mean less writing, but also problems of continuity – it’s not easy to remember the detail of what characters are doing when I haven’t been able to work on them for a week!

I did finish one novel, though, which is due to go through Critters in the next week or so. I do think the various breaks have had an impact, but I’ll know soon whether Critters agree.

I’ve not had any new publications, but acceptances for ‘The Doe and the Dragon’ and ‘The Well’. Both are due for release in 2011.

It’s also been a good year for writing friends. Gianna Bruno has had ‘Hot Chocolate Kiss’ and ‘The Journey’ released. Phil McCormac has continued with his line of westerns, and has also seen his first crime novel published. Congratulations to you both.