The importance of journeys in fiction

I realized something recently. Nearly all of my books include the main character going on a journey. 

In some novels, the journey is relatively short, while in others it can take up a large chunk of the story. One thing remains the same, the journey is always a metaphor for growth, change.

I've always loved stories where a journey is the central part of the plot. Ever since I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, I was hooked on journeys. There's something incredibly engrossing about going on a journey with fictional characters. You see the world through their eyes, but even more than that, you see how their own characters develop.

The best journeys are both physical and internal. In fantasy, the journey is often one of 'coming of age', or 'finding courage', both of which are themes that I enjoy. However, in my historical romance novels, the journeys are all slightly different. Sometimes it's about the developing relationship between the hero and heroine; others, it's about the heroine 'growing' as a person, or getting the strength she needs to deal with what lies ahead.

The Kingdom of the East Angles series

NIGHT SHADOWS (novella): the journey is a chance for Cynewyn and Wil to admit their passion for each other, after ten years' apart.
DARK UNDER THE COVER OF NIGHT: the journey is an escape, Raedwyn runs from danger, right into the arms of Caelin, the son of the man she's trying to get away from.
NIGHTFALL TILL DAYBREAK: the journey shows Freya bringing her injured lover, Aidan, to safety, after she saves his life. The journey reveals just how much she loves Aidan, and her determination to be with him.
THE DEEPENING NIGHT: Saewara journeys from Mercia to East Anglia with her arranged husband-to-be, Annan, and along the way discovers she actually wants him - only he doesn't appear to share the sentiment. Saewara must prepare herself mentally for what she believes will be a love-less marriage.

The Kingdom of Mercia series

THE BREAKING DAWN: there are a lot of journeys in the book. The first, shows Merwenna taking fate into her own hands and going in search of her betrothed, a young man who marched off to war and never came back. The second, shows her discovering her courage and independence, as she tries to return home, unescorted. In the third, she travels to Wales with Prince Cynddylan, a man she has just defied her family to help - only he doesn't appear that grateful and seems to resent her presence. In this journey, she has to come to terms with the decisions she's made, and gather the courage to face an uncertain future.

DARKEST BEFORE DAWN: Part One of this book has a long journey, in which Alchflaed travels from Northumbria to Mercia, to marry a man whom her father has ordered her to assassinate. This journey shows her growing anxiety and fear of what lies ahead, and reveals her growing connection with Maric - the warrior who leads the Mercian escort.

DAWN OF WOLVES: In the first section of the book, Ermenilda travels from Kent to Mercia with her betrothed, Wulfhere. During this journey, she struggles with an overwhelming attraction for a man she despises. Half-way through the journey, she must face her own mother's treachery.

____________________________________________________________

There you have it - many journeys, all with a strong inner-purpose!

Do you enjoy stories with journeys in them? Please feel free to share/recommend any that you loved!

DAWN OF WOLVES selected for Kindle Scout!

Recognise the cover on the far left?

Just over a month ago I submitted DAWN OF WOLVES (Book #3: The Kingdom of Mercia) in Kindle Scout. This morning I received an email from Kindle Press to let me know the novel had been selected for publication!

Exciting times, I'm delighted to be selected and am really looking forward to working with the Kindle Scout team.

A huge thank you to everyone who voted for the novel!

Find out more about the novel, and read the first 5,000 words here!

Jayne xx

My next story is in your hands

Discover the next great story... it could be mine

My next novel, DAWN OF WOLVES (Book #3 The Kingdom of Mercia), is now ready for publication... however, this time I'm doing things a little differently.

Usually, I self-publish my Historical Romances on Amazon. But this time around, DAWN OF WOLVES is available for nomination on Kindle Scout for the next 30 days.

What's Kindle Scout?
It's a campaign run by Amazon that gives readers the chance to preview never before published books, nominate their favorites, and receive free copies when their picks are published!

Anyone with an Amazon account can vote! 

At the end of the 30 day period, if DAWN OF WOLVES has enough reader nominations, it will be published. Then, you'll get a free copy!

If the novel isn't selected, I will be self-publishing it on Amazon, as usual, once the period ends (so don't worry - either way, you'll get to read it!).

Take a look at DAWN OF WOLVES' Kindle Scout campaign page. Here, you can find out about the story, and about what inspired me to write it. You can also read the first 5,000 words, and - if you like it - you can nominate it!

What's DAWN OF WOLVES about?
This story tells of a marriage between two seemingly incompatible people: a ruthless young king and a pious princess who wishes to devote her life to god. This novel is about the power love wields over us all - and how it can change us for the better.

Watch the book trailer on YouTube to find out more about the story.

Excited about reading this novel?

Go ahead, and nominate DAWN OF WOLVES!

Thank you so much for your support!

Best wishes,
Jayne x

Dawn of Wolves - deleted scene

The structural edit of DAWN OF WOLVES (Book #3, The Kingdom of Mercia) is done, and I'm now working on a revised draft of the novel.

This draft is crucial. It's where I begin to polish the writing, and ensure the story flows properly.

I focus on things like the metaphors and similes I've used - making sure they are as original as possible, and tied to the setting. I read dialogue aloud - to ensure it's natural. It's also the stage where I delete, add and move scenes around. This is where the editor's feedback is crucial. As the writer, I'm way too close to the story to notice any structural issues. Yet, these are essential to the pacing and flow of a good story.

For example, in DAWN OF WOLVES, my editor noted that Chapter One needed to start 'in the middle of things' rather than having a bit of scene setting first. Hence, I have deleted the following scene and, instead, woven some of the details into a revised start where our hero, Wulfhere of Mercia, storms Tamworth to take back the throne.

I still like this scene though... so here it is for you to enjoy. :-)

--

“Your brother has sent word, Milord. When the moon has fully risen, men will open the low gates.”

Wulfhere looked up from where he had been sharpening his sword, Shield Breaker, and fixed the messenger in a cool stare.

“So, he is ready then?”

Werbode – a tall, muscular man with a shock of black hair and a neatly trimmed beard – nodded. Like Wulfhere, the warrior was clad in boiled leather, ready for battle. “He assures us that Oswiu’s stewards are ignorant of our plans. He will be waiting for you in the Great Tower and has a group of men, loyal to him, who will join us once we storm the town.”

Wulfhere cast aside the whetstone he had been using to sharpen the double-edged blade, and rose to his feet.

Finally.

After two years in exile he was about to take back his birthright. Yet, caution tempered his impatience to enter Tamworth.

Is Aethelred loyal?

In truth, his younger brother had always been easier to like than Paeda, his elder brother. Paeda had been a snake. He had betrayed their father on the eve of battle and given away true power over Mercia so that he could marry Oswiu of Bernicia’s daughter, a young woman he had obsessed over. However, wyrd – fate – had turned against Paeda in the end. Rumor had it that Alchflaed, the flame haired beauty Paeda had wed, had slain him while he slept.

Wulfhere had liked Alchflaed, although, in his opinion a woman with such a fiery and willful temperament did not make a good wife. Yet, if she had truly killed Paeda, he applauded her for it. After Paeda’s murder, Alchflaed had disappeared. Both the Northumbrians and Mercians had hunted for her, but she was never found.

“You look pensive, Milord,” Werbode noted, ever watchful. “Does something worry you?”

Wulfhere favored his friend with a thin smile before he slid his sword back into its scabbard.

“We must be wary tonight,” he said, before glancing around the wide clearing where over two-hundred warriors gathered. “I trust few men, and my brother is not among them. When we enter the Great Hall, I want you to keep a close eye on Aethelred.”

Werbode nodded, his gaze shrewd. Wulfhere knew he could depend on the warrior to watch his back tonight.

Dense woodland surrounded the small army. They waited only a few furlongs distant from Tamworth. It was a damp, grey afternoon and the rain was beginning to fall in a light drizzle, the kind of rain that falls silently without disturbing a blade of grass. The rise and fall of men’s voices and the rasp of iron blades – seaxes, swords, axes and spears – being sharpened punctuated the stillness.

Wulfhere’s pulse quickened. It was the sound of men preparing for battle. Long had he awaited this day; long had he planned for it. During the past two years, he had learned patience. He had bided his time, gathered his friends close and built up his strength. There was no point in launching an attack before he was ready. He would only have one chance to retake Tamworth, so he had to do it right.

Wulfhere left Werbode then and walked amongst his men. He listened to their conversations, and exchanged the odd word with some of them. One of his most trusted warriors, Elfhere, waved to him and Wulfhere nodded back.

“Tamworth awaits,” the warrior reminded him. “This time tomorrow you will be sitting upon the high seat, Milord.”

Wulfhere nodded, returning Elfhere’s smile. The tall, blond warrior had left Tamworth after the Northumbrians had taken control of it, and sought Wulfhere out in the wilderness. Elfhere limped slightly, from an old injury, but he was still one of Wulfhere’s best.

Wulfhere continued on his way through the crowd of leather-clad warriors. Morale was good, and they responded to him with smiles and respectful nods. Three Mercian ealdormen had joined him: Immin, Eafa and Eadbert. They were powerful, respected men who had brought their own warriors with them. Wulfhere passed Immin as he circuited the clearing. The hulking ealdorman with a mane of grizzled blond hair grinned at him.

“Fire in your belly yet, Milord?”

Wulfhere grinned back. “Aye. I’m ready for a fight.”

In truth, he was more than ready. He longed to spill Northumbrian blood, to cut down those who had no right occupying his hall or commanding his people.

Soon.

And once it was done he would see Ermenilda again.

Even a year later, he could still picture her clearly. He had known the moment he saw her, that he wanted her. Young and slender, her ethereal beauty had ensnared him. Long, straight blonde hair, a few shades darker than his, flowed over her shoulders, framing a delicately featured face and soulful eyes the color of walnut.

The girl had a demure manner, yet she had held his gaze unflinchingly at the door to her father’s hall. Ermenilda had looked radiant, her cheeks flushed with cold, with snowflakes in her hair.

She was just one more reason he had to take Tamworth.

Wulfhere stopped his circuit around the clearing and glanced up at the sky. The rain was beginning to clear, allowing the watery winter sun to peek through.

Good, we need to be able to see the moon tonight.

Everything depended on this attack going smoothly.

Wulfhere reached up then, his fist closing around the small iron spear he wore on a leather thong around his neck – Tiw, the god of war’s spear. He had not yet renounced the old gods, although the time was coming when he would have to do so. He was not sure he would ever truly cast them aside for the gods of his ancestors meant a lot to him.

Tonight, Tiw would guide his sword and help him regain his birthright.

--

New review for THE BREAKING DAWN

THE BREAKING DAWN has just been reviewed by the Historical Novel Society... 

"Jayne Castel maps a classic troubled love story onto a much broader canvas of war and political intrigue in the first of her 'Kingdom of Mercia' series, The Breaking Dawn."

Read the full review here.

Book review: Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale

A powerful love story about two very unlikely individuals. I love romances that are a bit different, ones that challenge the genre a bit. The 'rake and the innocent' has been done to death in historical romance - but never like this!

Our hero, the Duke of Jervaulx is a reckless womanizer - until the day he suffers a stroke. Our heroine, Maddy Timms, is a Quaker spinster who has dedicated her life to helping her blind father with his work.

Uptight and judgmental, but also passionate and brave, Maddy is both drawn to and repulsed by the Duke. She volunteers in the mental asylum where Jervaulx has been incarcerated, and is the only one who does not believe he is mad. However, it is not long before her growing attraction to him gets the better of her...

What happens to Jervaulx after he has his stroke is appalling, but also historically accurate. The 'treatment' for mental illness was once barbaric. The reader really experiences his frustration and anger at being labelled 'mad' when he has merely lost his ability to speak. His stroke strips Jervaulx of everything - status, money and power. He must rebuild his life, stone by stone.

I love Laura Kinsale's writing, her evocation of time and place is beautiful, as is the way she depicts the developing relationship between Jervaulx and Maddy. Both characters begin the tale with some serious character flaws but the story sees them grow enormously. The sexual tension between them is scorching and beautifully written.

Loved it!

Purchase a copy of this book from Amazon.

Guest author post at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee pots

I'm over at Mary Anne Yarde's blog today, as a guest author. 

Mary asked me to write about the inspiration behind my latest novel: DARKEST BEFORE DAWN.

Check out the blog post.

Mary writes historical fiction in a time period very close to my own. Her debut novel: THE DU LAC CHRONICLES has just been released!