Guest Author: TJ Bennett

This week we welcome back TJ Bennett as she celebrates the release of her second book, THE PROMISE.

In a dangerous world, sometimes the greatest risk is love...

In 1525, Günter Behaim is a professional soldier in the service of Emperor Charles V. Günter has been betrayed by love and promises not kept. As a result, he has sworn to make few promises of his own and keep those unto death. However, when his friend is mortally wounded while saving Günter's life, he gives a pledge to marry his betrothed. To keep his promise, Günter must use every weapon in his romantic arsenal to convince the reluctant woman to marry him. As his passion for her grows, he realizes he is falling in love. Is he prepared to risk his worst fear: having his heart rejected once more?

The Spanish beauty Alonsa García de Aranjuéz is determined to withstand Günter's relentless pursuit. Haunted by a gypsy's curse on any man who loves her, Alonsa yearns for Günter, but fear for his safety forces her to rebuff him. As she struggles to deny the growing attraction between them, she begins to realize that fate may have other plans. With danger surrounding them, will Alonsa bite from the forbidden fruit? Or will Günter be bitten instead by the mysterious misfortune that seems to plague any with the courage to become Alonsa's love?

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Welcome back! So what's so unusual about THE PROMISE?

Well, the hero of THE PROMISE, Günter Behaim, was introduced in my first book, THE LEGACY. That was set in Martin Luther's Reformation Germany, and during my research on the history of the period, I came across information about the Landsknechts, or the German mercenary companies hired first by Emperor Maximilian and then by Charles V to fight their wars throughout Europe.

Standing armies were rare during this time; many rulers, kings, and princes hired mercenary companies. I was fascinated by the lives these men--and the women who loved them--led. It was harsh and difficult, but at the same time compelling and exciting. I felt the mercenaries who lived, fought, and died during those times must have been extraordinary and well worthy of a story of their own. The story begins just days before the pivotal Battle of Pavia, a turning point in history between medieval and modern warfare. I don't believe I've ever seen a historical romance set in this particular time with this subject matter, so that makes it pretty unusual right there.

How does the setting influence the story?

Of necessity, it is a darker book than THE LEGACY, which was about an arranged marriage between a runaway nun and a middle-class printer. In THE PROMISE, we are dealing with a mercenary soldier, Günter, whose livelihood is fighting, killing, and avoiding being killed. The heroine, Alonsa, is the daughter of a blade merchant who has seen her share of violence as well. I had to deal with these elements in the story yet keep the focus on an impossible yet extremely romantic relationship, and that made it edgier and more adventurous than the first novel. But it is still a wonderful story of the triumph of love over impossible odds, as is THE LEGACY.

Since we are focusing our month long spotlight on literature and education, can you tell us what role those played in this book?

My hero is a Renaissance man (despite some of the advertising copy that suggests this is a Medieval, sorry to say). He joined the army after being jilted by his beloved sometime before the beginning of the first book. Before that, however, his backstory was that he was studying art and music in Florence, one of the great centers of learning and culture. Günter absorbed much while he was a student, and throughout the book, we see his various artistic talents manifest themselves in his ability to speak multiple languages, his skill at composing music, and his knowledge of poetry and art. He even composes a love song to Alonsa, one that leads to an emotional scene before they must part for what they believe is the last time. I loved taking this rough and tumble soldier and layering him with these romantic, sensitive qualities. It makes him a complex hero, not easy to pin down--my favorite kind.

Thanks for stopping by Unusual Historicals and telling us about your book!

Thank you, and let me invite your visitors to come learn more about THE PROMISE and its connected novel, THE LEGACY, at my website. They can also participate in my May contest, read excerpts, and view photos on my gallery pages. I'll be happy to answer any comments posted on this Unusual Historicals blog.

Reviews:

Romantic Times Magazine BOOK Reviews: Four Stars!

Passion, intrigue and romance distinguish this wonderful tale. The well-defined characters and fast pace will keep your attention from the first page to the last. Passion and humor are seamlessly inserted into this tale of love and adventure, and the emotional conclusion is very satisfying.

Night Owl Romance: 4.5 star Top Pick
THE PROMISE is "passionate, enchanting, and moving."

Eye on Romance's Historical Romance Writers: "I enjoyed Ms. Bennett's first book THE LEGACY and this book is just as good....The journey these two people take is one of true love."

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Thanks so much for joining us once again, TJ, and best of luck with THE PROMISE! Readers, would you like a copy of TJ's debut, THE LEGACY? If so, leave a comment or a question. I'll draw a winner next Sunday. Good luck!

Religious Beliefs: Robin Hood & the Church

By Carrie Lofty

With the emergence of any profound social or religious movement, the need to secure the willing approval of the populace becomes essential--or else the movement fails. And no movement in English history was as violently contested as the Reformation, when Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church and founded the Church of England, leading to bloodshed between Catholic and Protestant adherents in the realm.

Prior to the Reformation, ballads of Robin Hood's derring-do had existed for centuries. The earliest written ballad is Robin Hood and the Monk, penned in (roughly) 1461, which offers us a complex and nuanced view of how religion filtered through the popular consciousness--and, by comparison, how drastically the later Robin Hood stories worked toward securing popular support for Protestant faiths.

In Robin Hood and the Monk, Robin is a devout follower of Mary. His devotion is so great that he insists on traveling into town to offer prayers at her church. This sparks an argument with Little John, who believes Robin's frequent pilgrimages will get him into trouble. Sure enough, a monk reports Robin to the Sheriff of Nottingham, leading to Robin's arrest. Only after penitent prayers--and the timely intervention of Little John and the merry men--is Robin freed. They humiliate the sheriff, but more interestingly, they murder the monk and his page.

What to make of this?

Obviously, reverence for Mary during the 15th century held a great deal of importance, in that Robin risks capture to act on his devotion. But then he is betrayed by a monk, a man of the Church. After his release, Robin's anger toward the sheriff is relatively mild, warranting a mere bit of humiliation, but he strikes out with violence against the monk. Perhaps this suggests a certain lenience--and even the expectation of corruption--from men such as the sheriff, but a more harsh hatred toward hypocritical church officials.

This dual approach--belief in Mary and the tenants of the Church, but disdain for its earthly officials--may suggest how eager the population was to see corruption purged from the Church. They didn't necessarily want an entirely new faith, but they demanded change. Robin Hood, as an aristocratic hero intended for a yeoman audience, helped them live this fantasy through the creation and perpetuation of his myths.

During Elizabeth I's reign, when she and her government effectively shored up power for Protestantism, popular entertainment favoring Protestant causes proliferated. In the works of Shakespeare and others, bishops became buffoons and priests become villains.

The Robin Hood myths changed as well. Religious figures from the Catholic Church transformed into lascivious and greedy characters, often conspiring with wicked noblemen to deprive Robin's people of a just living. In Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford, Little John strips the bishop of his cloak and discovers 300 gold pieces. Eventually the bishop is left with only his boots and his life, and he's thankful for that much. The tone of the ballads changed as well, becoming more lighthearted. Humiliation was the order of the day. Corrupt officials were mocked and exposed, not murdered, thus securing Robin's place as a true and faultless hero. No more pesky ambiguity.

Other characters from the Catholic Church became true villains, again in concert with noblemen who backed either Catholicism or personal gain at the expense of good (Protestant) people. In Of Robin Hood's Death and Burial by Sebastian Evans, an abbess conspires against and eventually kills Robin, which reinforces the notion that a hero as great as Robin Hood could only be killed by treachery--never by a fair contest of skill against skill. This "death by betrayal" became a prominent feature of all post-Reformation retellings.

Popular media (ballads, stories, and eventually movies) since the Reformation have placed Robin Hood and his good deeds squarely against such corruption. While the Sheriff figures prominently in every representation from the late 19th century forward, he is often backed by powerful officials who either finance or influence his villainy.


In this clip from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves--a late 20th culmination of these changes to the myth--the bishop marries Marian to the Sheriff against her will. His villainy is doubly reinforced by his association with the sheriff's pet witch and their reliance on the dark arts, and he pays the ultimate price when he is pushed to his death by Friar Tuck. Tuck offers a pleasing alternative to the corruption, showing that independence and spiritual purity are preferable to fancy clothes, artificial doctrine, and the potential for clerical abuse.

As with all good myths, the stories of Robin Hood are flexible enough to change with the times, finding value in reflecting and reinforcing the timbre of society. Only by taking control of popular moral outlets such as these myths can proponents of social and religious movements hope to find acceptance among the populace and secure long-lasting change.

For more Hood-tastic information, see the invaluable Robin Hood Project.