THE BREAKING DAWN: PUBLICATION DATE (Friday 10 April)

After a year of writing, editing and polishing, THE BREAKING DAWN - the first novel in the Kingdom of Mercia series - is about to be published!

The novel will be available to purchase on Amazon from Friday 10 April.

You will also be able to pre-order the novel on Amazon in a couple of days - so watch this space for more details!

THE BREAKING DAWN is my fourth full-length Historical Romance, set in 7th Century Anglo-Saxon England.

We now leave the Kingdom of the East Angles behind and focus upon the Kingdom of Mercia. This novel also journeys to Wales (named Powys in this period).

The Breaking Dawn tells the love story between Cynddylan, a Welsh prince, and Merwenna, a Mercian village girl.

My novels use real historical figures and events as the backdrop, and this one is no exception. Cynddylan was a 7th Century Welsh ruler and King Penda (the villain my readers love to hate!) also makes a dramatic reappearance in this story.

The Breaking Dawn is an epic tale about love, loyalty and destiny.

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Inspirational proverb

Now, for a little inspiration...

Here is the proverb that begins THE BREAKING DAWN. A reminder that no matter how hard things get, there's always light at the end of the tunnel.

A haunting poem - The Song of Heledd

Researching a novel is great fun, and often gives me ideas for the plot that I would never have come up with otherwise.

When looking for details about Cynddylan, the 7th Century Welsh prince (and the hero of THE BREAKING DAWN), I came across a poem, translated from Old Welsh: the Canu Heledd – the Song of Heledd. In this poem, Cynddylan's sister, Heledd, laments her brother's death, and the attack and destruction of his hall.

This poem is so hauntingly beautiful that I'd like to share it with you:

The hall of Cynddylan is dark tonight,
Without fire, without a bed.
I will weep for a while; then I will be silent.

The hall of Cynddylan is dark tonight,
Without fire, without candle.
Save God, who will give me sanity?

The hall of Cynddylan is dark tonight,
Without fire, without light.
Grief for you comes over me.

The hall of Cynddylan, its roof is dark,
After the blest assembly.
Woe the good that does not come to it.

The hall of Cynddylan, you have become shapeless,
Your shield is in the grave.
While he was alive, there were no breached gates.

The hall of Cynddylan is forlorn tonight,
After the one who owned it.
Alas death, why does it spare me?

The hall of Cynddylan is not comfortable tonight,
On the top of the enduring rock,
Without lord, without host, without protection.

The hall of Cynddylan is dark tonight,
Without fire, without songs.
My cheeks are worn away by tears.

The hall of Cynddylan is dark tonight,
Without fire, without a warband.
Abundant my tears where it falls.

The hall of Cynddylan, it wounds me to see it,
Without roof, without fire.
My lord is dead, but I am alive.

The hall of Cynddylan lies waste tonight,
After steadfast warriors,
Elfan, and gold-wearing Cynddylan.

The hall of Cynddylan is desolate tonight,
After the respect which was mine,
Without men, without women who cared for it.

The hall of Cynddylan is quiet tonight,
After losing its lord.
Great merciful God, what shall I do?

The hall of Cynddylan, its roof is dark,
After the English destroyed
Cynddylan and Elfan of Powys.

The hall of Cynddylan is dark tonight,
After the race of the Cyndrwyn,
Cynon and Gwion and Gwyn.

The hall of Cynddylan, it is a wound to me each hour,
After the great company
That I saw on your hearth.

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THE BREAKING DAWN - sneak preview #1

THE BREAKING DAWN inches closer to publication (the actual date will be out soon). In the meantime, here's a sneak preview of the novel's Amazon description. It's epic!

You cannot fight fate

A historical romance adventure set in 7th Century Anglo-Saxon England – a time when only the strong survived.

A Mercian village girl and a Welsh prince. When two worlds collide, an unforgettable love story unfolds.

It is the summer of 641 A.D., and the Kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria are about to do battle. 

Merwenna of Weyham accepts the hand of a young warrior who is about to march to war. But when her betrothed does not return, she takes matters into her own hands and goes in search of him.

Welsh battle lord, Prince Cynddylan, leads a host of warriors to help Mercia fight Northumbria. In doing so, he forms a fragile alliance with one of Britannia’s most ruthless warlords – King Penda of Mercia. 

In the wake of the Battle of Maes Cogwy, the lives of many will change. 

Merwenna travels to Tamworth, the seat of the Mercian King, in search of Beorn, her betrothed – only to discover the bitter truth.

Cynddylan and Penda return to Tamworth from battle, victorious – but fall out in its aftermath.

From the moment Merwenna and Cynddylan meet in the Great Tower of Tamworth, their paths are entwined. 

  

In a journey from Tamworth, through the green heart of Mercia, and into the woods and mountains of Wales – Merwenna struggles between grief for the man she has lost, and her powerful attraction to this battle lord who appears to love only power and glory. 

Cynddylan is also torn. With each passing day, he finds himself increasingly captivated by this courageous young woman. Merwenna makes him question the world, and his place in it. Suddenly, he is not so sure what is worth living, and dying, for.

Can two lovers from such different worlds, ever be together?

The Breaking Dawn is the first novel in the Kingdom of Mercia series, following the ground-breaking Kingdom of the East Angles novels: Dark Under the Cover of Night, Nightfall till Daybreak and The Deepening Night. Set in 7th Century Anglo-Saxon England, these novels blend epic romance, adventure and rich historical detail.

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Historical background for The Breaking Dawn

The Breaking Dawn is slowly inching further towards publication. The bulk of the editing has been completed and now we're on to polishing and perfecting the novel!

For this story, I've decided to insert some 'Historical Background' notes at the start, in order to give readers an idea of the cultural and political context of the time. 

Something that readers have asked me, is when exactly was the 'Anglo-Saxon' period? Not only that, but what made it different to the rest of the Middle Ages?

In the 7th Century, England was not as we know it today 

The British Isles were named Britannia (a legacy of the Roman colonization) and split into rival kingdoms: the Kingdom of the East Angles, Mercia, Northumbria, Kent and the East, and West Saxons - as well as the Celtic Kingdoms of Powys (Wales) and Wessex.

The Anglo-Saxon period lasted from the departure of the Romans, in around 430 A.D., to the Norman invasion in 1066 A.D.

However, I've focused on just a small window within the period.

I'm particularly fascinated by the period between the departure of the Romans and the first Viking invasion in 793 A.D – a 300 year period in which Anglo-Saxon culture flourished. So far, I've only set my novels in the 7th Century - from 600-700 A.D.

Why the 7th Century?

These were exciting times. The Kingdom of the East Angles was dominant at the beginning of this century, but gradually diminished under the power of Mercia. The 7th Century saw Christianity make inroads into the British Isles. Famous kings: Raedwald, Penda and Offa ruled during these years, leaving a lasting influence.

The Breaking Dawn is set in 641 A.D., at the height of King Penda of Mercia's reign. It is the year of the Battle of Maserfield (Maes Cogwy in Welsh). In the summer of this year, Powys (Wales) and Mercia united against, and defeated, the Northumbrians.

And very soon, you'll be able to read all about it. 

I will be announcing the publication date for The Breaking Dawn soon, so watch this space!

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My hero: Cynddylan, Prince of Powys

Great news - THE BREAKING DAWN has just come a step closer to publication! I've finished writing the manuscript and am now going through the editing process.

Calling it the 'editing process' makes the whole thing sound more painless than it actually is. Editing requires taking a hard look at the story you've created and, with the help of a talented editor, unraveling what works and what doesn't - and making the necessary changes.

It usually involves a few tears.

Every book is different. In one, the edits might be centered around the plot, in another conflict or characterization.

The majority of the edits in THE BREAKING DAWN are hinging on the latter: the characters.

A Welsh prince with an identity crisis

I've based my hero in THE BREAKING DAWN on an actual historical figure: Cynddylan ap Cyndrwyn - the Prince of Powys. Quite a mouthful I know, but basically Cynddylan (or Dylan as he's called mostly in my story), was a 7th Century Welsh prince who famously allied himself with the Kingdom of Mercia.

I initially drew Cynddylan as an arrogant flirt who, despite the fact he was a great warrior, hated war. Then, I wondered why he just wasn't working. Once I dug a little deeper into history, I discovered that the Prince of Powys had a fiery temper, was stubborn, and had a ruthless streak.

Unsurprisingly, once I reworked him using these details, Cynddylan came to life.

We don't have many historical details about Prince Cynddylan, although more than some of the other rulers of the time. Most of the details about him come from two famous poems: Marwnad Cynddylan (The Deathsong of Cynddylan) and the Canu Heledd (Heledd's lament), a 9th century poem in which his sister sings of her brother's death. Both are hauntingly beautiful, if grim, poems.

In a nutshell, here's what my research unearthed about Cynddylan:

• He wore a mail shirt and purple cloak
• He was fiery, stubborn, brave and ruthless - a great warrior
• He went to battle alongside King Penda of Mercia, against the Northumbrian King, Oswald, bringing 700 warriors with him. They fought together in the Battle of Maserfield (Maes Cogwy in Welsh), in the summer of 641 A.D. The battle ended with Oswalds defeat, death and dismemberment
• He died fairly young in battle and never married (I ignore this detail - it's a romance after all!)
• He had 9 sisters and 12 brothers (I also ignore this detail - for the sake of the story - preferring to shrink the family to one sister, Heledd, and one brother, Morfael)
• After the Battle of Maserfield, Cynddylan appears to have fallen out with Penda
• Details around Cynddylan's death are hazy - he may have fought (and died) alongside Penda again at the Battle of Winwaed in circa 655 A.D. (We don't get this far in the novel - I prefer to leave Dylan's future open, for the reader to decide...)

 And in case you're wondering, here's how I imagine Cynddylan looks...

(Welsh actor, Ioan Gruffudd)

Watch this space for news on the actual publication date!

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The Real Hero - basing main characters on actual historical figures

Basing a novel around an actual historical figure can be great fun - it just requires a bit of planning first.

I write historical romance novels set in Anglo-Saxon England - and routinely use actual historical figures in them. I love basing my plot around actual events and real people as it ensures my plot lines are original. 

It actually helps me come with ideas that might not have previously occurred to me!

Doing the research - there's no avoiding this one

Using real historical figures in novels can be a challenge. It's a delicate balance, knowing how much 'history' to include, and how much poetic license to employ. You want to stay true to history, but at the same time you need this character to feel real, not like he or she stepped out of the pages of an academic text book.

The closer your historical figure lived to present day, the more details you will find on them. 

And, the more details you find, the harder it is not to drown in details. 

Keep focused - remember that it's not your role to faithfully include every snippet you find. You are writing fiction, not a historical biography, so leave room for creativity.

I set my novels in 7th century Britain. This is both a blessing and a curse. 

It's a blessing because there are quite a few famous historical figures from this period, mostly rulers of the various kingdoms, who are great fun to write about. 

However, it's a curse because there's very little real detail on them. There were no written records during this period. The first accounts were written by monks nearly two centuries later, and then destroyed during the viking raids. This gives me some flexibility with details such as the character's physical appearance, and it also allows me to interpret some historical events without worrying about being contradicted by a history buff!

Details aside, the most important thing is to stay true to the period

Although you may change a few details about the historical figure in question - and even shift his or her timeline around to suit your story - you must keep your character faithful to the period in which he or she lived. 

The last thing you want is to dress a modern character in old clothes. Neither do you want to rely upon cliches about the past. 

Also, consider your dialogue. Too many uses of words like 'tis, 'twas, and 'thou' actually irritate and distract readers. For example, although many people think 'thou' was a formal way of addressing someone, it was actually the informal word for 'you'!

Scattering your dialogue with archaisms doesn't draw your reader into the past - writing in a way that makes he/she live and breathe the past with you does!

Analyze your character's belief system, morals, habits, and attitude towards death. They need to be true of the period. For example, in 7th century Anglo-Saxon England, Christianity was only just starting to make inroads - as such most people worshiped the old gods such as Woden and Thor, and believed that fate controlled their lives. My novels reflect this.

Meet Cynddylan ap Cyndrwyn - the Prince of Powys

Until now I have focused on the kings of the Kingdoms of the East Angles and Mercia. However, the hero of my latest novel (THE BREAKING DAWN - available on Amazon at the end of February), is a famous 7th Century Welsh prince: Cynddylan, son of Cyndrwyn. 

Most of what I've found about this charismatic 'battle lord' is in the form of old Welsh poems, and what little historical detail remains about his life is sketchy to say the least. Even so, I have enjoyed bringing 'Dylan' to life in the pages of my novel. My research has allowed me to get a real 'feel' for how this man would have lived.

More on the Prince of Powys in my next post!

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Would you like to read a prequel novella to the KINGDOM OF THE EAST ANGLES series for free?


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